The Theoretical Framework of a Postgraduate Course on “Integrating the History of Mathematics in the Didactics of Mathematics”

Abstract

In this paper a number of theoretical principles on the relation between the historical evolution of mathematical ideas and the teaching and learning process of mathematics are critically analyzed and discussed. These principles are drawn from broader theoretical schemata developed in the field of mathematics education research; for a more specific analysis an attempt is made to examine the relation between the historical evolution of basic algebraic ideas and research results on the teaching and learning of school algebra. This paper has been used as the theoretical framework for a postgraduate course on the didactical application of the history of mathematics.