Modern learning and teaching theories often include contextualization as a central aspect. Instead of outdated atomistic thinking, scaffolding structures are offered that, in varying degrees, address different contexts. Therefore, a teaching strategy using aspects of Narrative Didactics seems to be suitable for the creation of thematic and…

When examining students' participation in these mathematics discussions, the focus is on their verbal contributions. However, students' nonverbal contributions--such as pointing, drawings, and models-- can be crucial resources for advancing the mathematical thinking and the collective activity of a classroom community (Johnson et al., 2023; Webb…

A primary goal of ethnomodeling is to value, sustain, and in some instances introduce cultural practices and traditions that have often been lost or overshadowed because of an emphasis on modern methods (Orey & Rosa, 2010). Through an ethnomodeling task focusing on geometric transformations, the authors share a Model It! activity to engage…

In this paper, we explore how the typical second year undergraduate topic of matrix diagonalisation can be applied to solve a geometric problem which arises frequently in Vector Calculus: to find the curve of intersection of a plane and a surface. We use GeoGebra, which offers a cost-free and dynamic interface, to explore a specific variant of…

Exploring non-Euclidean geometries is a common way for College Geometry instructors to highlight subtleties in Euclidean geometry. The concept of congruence, going undefined or informally defined in multiple axiomatic systems, is particularly susceptible to conflation with the idea of "same measure." Taxicab geometry provides a context…

The Great Mini-Golf Project requires students to use a ruler to identify measurements to the quarter-inch, with careful precision and accuracy, which supported the Standards for Mathematical Practice 5 and 6: using appropriate tools to solve mathematical problems with precision (NGA Center & CCSSO, 2010). This project also supported Standard…

Effective teaching requires enjoyable classroom tasks aimed at promoting students' learning of mathematics meaningfully, and previous research has demonstrated that the use of origami activities in mathematics classrooms can help achieve that goal. In this article, the authors describe their "LOVE MATH" one-straight-cut letter origami…

In this short note I present an elementary proof of irrationality for the number "e," the base of the natural logarithm. It is simpler than other known proofs as it does not use comparisons with geometric series, nor Beukers' integrals, and it does not assume that "e" is a rational number from the beginning.

The small angle approximation sin[theta approximately theta] is central to all treatments of the simple pendulum as a harmonic oscillator and is typically asserted as a result that follows from calculus. Here, however, we show that the geometry of the pendulum "itself" offers a route to understanding the origin of the small angle…

The 1989 good old days' quote from the "Field of Dreams" by Kevin Costner that "If you build it, he or they will come" is no longer going to be attractive, especially in the field of mathematics education. One such challenging subject in the field of mathematics education is the teaching and learning of geometry. It is the aim…

This survey paper presents recent relevant research in mathematics education produced in Spain, which allows the identification of different broad lines of research developed by Spanish groups of scholars. First, we present and describe studies whose research objectives are related to student learning of specific curricular contents and…

This paper seeks to answer the question: How does the handling of the contradictions that emerge in activities of initial mathematics teacher education contribute to the learning of geometric knowledge when pre-service teachers and the teacher educator solve geometric construction problems with GeoGebra? A dialectical-materialist approach is used…

The study of mathematics is often described as the science of patterns (Resnik 1981), and the cognitive tasks involving the search, recognition, and assessment of patterns are fundamental to learning mathematics. Patterning activities lead students to a better understanding of dependent relations among representations, create a transparent way for…

Productive talk is structured talk designed to support students in developing a deep understanding of the content (Michaels et al., 2008): a characteristic of high-quality mathematics instruction (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 2014). Students who engage in talk during mathematics class have opportunities to make sense of the…

The ability to solve geometric construction problems is justly regarded as an essential component of mathematical culture. The dynamic, general nature of objects provided by dynamic geometry systems allows the development of intuitive methods for solving construction problems. The core mathematical concept underlying this approach is the loci…