Digitization Projects
In addition to calculators and digital whiteboards, other digital media such as explanatory videos or tablets with apps have found their way into mathematics lessons at all school levels since the start of the pandemic at the latest. The use of digital media and the digital design of subject-based learning is, therefore, an essential cross-cutting task in teacher training. The Fetzer working group is dedicated to the topic of digitalization at the research and teaching level in various sub-projects.
Learning in mathematics lessons is characterized by a specific feature: Mathematical concepts and knowledge are abstract in nature, they cannot be grasped empirically and are not accessible to any channel of perception. Mathematical concepts require representation; our only access to them is through objects, symbols and words. The importance of tools and materials, the blackboard, tablet and paper is correspondingly high, both in teaching practice and in mathematics didactic research. But what role do tools and materials play? To what extent can digital settings in particular promote mathematical learning? What potential do learning environments offer in a digital context?
Contact: Prof. Dr. Marei Fetzer
"Mathe mit Links" is a highly topical project in the context of digitalization, which is close to the needs of practice and is intended to ensure great regional and national visibility in the field of teacher training in the first to third phase and is to be scientifically accompanied by a usability study to be initiated.
The aim of "Mathe mit Links" is to develop and create a database of apps for mathematical learning and teaching at primary level. The database offers teachers orientation in the multitude of digital offers and enables a targeted search for apps on specific (teaching) content. In particular, a technical and didactic assessment of the potential with regard to mathematical learning is to be provided in the database. This should enable teachers to specifically integrate working with math apps into their everyday math lessons and to further develop lessons in an increasingly digitalized world.
Contact: Prof. Dr. Marei Fetzer
What (change) processes take place in an primary school teaching staff with regard to mathematics lessons when chalkboards are replaced by digital blackboards? In order to investigate this question, data has been collected and analyzed at the following levels as part of a long-term study since May 2023:
- interviews with teachers and school management
- videos of math lessons with digital whiteboards
- observations of everyday school life in and outside of math lessons
- recordings of the school's general conferences
- recordings of the school's mathematics conference
- documentation of the training courses on offer and attendance at the relevant training courses
- interviews with pupils
Contact: Julia Bräuer
Projects on language - multilingualism - mathematics
Language plays a crucial role in mathematical learning. All children benefit from language-sensitive math lessons - but those with language difficulties benefit particularly. In many cases, this applies to children with a migration background. So far, research has largely ignored a perspective on multilingualism as a resource and as a special potential for mathematical learning. We are addressing this research desideratum in various projects in the working group.
"Using multilingualism as a resource for learning mathematics" is a cross-university research group. The Fetzer and Söbbeke working groups, both from the BUW, research, discuss and publish together with the Schreiber working group at Justus Liebig University Giessen.
Contact: Prof. Dr. Marei Fetzer and Prof. Dr. Söbbeke
Many pupils at German primary schools are multilingual. This is often associated with challenges. However, research into mathematics didactics is increasingly focusing on the potential opportunities of multilingualism. For example, some empirical studies show positive influences on the development of imagination or participation in classroom discussions. However, most of these studies only take place in secondary school or late primary school. At this point, linguistic and academic socialization is already advanced and the basic stages of written language acquisition have already been completed. The question therefore arises as to whether other conditions and opportunities for the inclusion of multilingualism exist at an earlier stage. This research project therefore aims to investigate the use of multilingualism in early mathematics lessons. To this end, multilingual learning processes are to be initiated in the first year of school, monitored as part of an empirical longitudinal study and researched using qualitative methods.
Contact: Sonja Deegener
Sociology of objects - Calculating with objects
Learning mathematics without dealing with things and objects is almost inconceivable. But what role do objects play in mathematical teaching and learning processes? With regard to the development of mathematics didactic learning theories, I take a sociological look at objects, drawing on Latour (2005), and view them as actors in classroom interactions. Within the framework of a sociology of objects, I am interested in theoretical and methodological questions that can be attributed to basic research in mathematics didactics. A particular focus is on the empirical reconstruction of participation structures and the identification of specific interaction patterns in analog and digital settings. This will enable a better understanding of the extent to which we can "calculate with objects".
Contact: Prof. Dr. Marei Fetzer
© Illustration: AG Grundschule/Bergische Universität Wuppertal
© Foto: #40383103/Colourbox
Last modified: 09.02.2024
