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Head: REVIEW OF REAL-WORLD CONNECTIONS

Review of Real-World Connections in Secondary Mathematics Teaching

Melissa Robinson-Agles

9 September 2017

MAT 690 National University

REVIEW OF REAL-WORLD CONNECTIONS

Abstract

This paper reviews the 2008 article Real-World Connections in Secondary Mathematics

Teaching from the Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education. It summarizes a 2007 study

in Southern California on how, when, and why middle and high school teachers include

real-world connections in their lessons. This article provides a good reminder of what to

look for in authentic activities and why theyre important. The newer Common Core State

Standards for math, with the Standards for Mathematical Practice, prioritize real-world

connections, so teachers are more likely to use them in 2017.

REVIEW OF REAL-WORLD CONNECTIONS

Review of Real-World Connections in Secondary Mathematics Teaching

I read the article Real-World Connections in Secondary Mathematics Teaching

because I was interested in studies of how teachers actually use real-world applications in

math classes. This article summarizes a 2007 study in Southern California on how, when,

and why middle and high school teachers include real-world connections in their lessons.

For years, the real-world has been an agreed priority in math teaching, despite the

challenge to implement it. In Domain A of the California Teaching Performance

Expectations (TPEs), math teachers are told to enable students to understand basic

mathematical computations, concepts, and symbols, to use them to solve common

problems, and to apply them to novel problems (Commission on Teacher Credentialing

[CTC], 2013). Teachers should also help students solve real- world problems using

mathematical reasoning (CTC, 2013). These are things that I try to do in my class, and I

was interested in how teachers were doing that elsewhere. Unfortunately, I struggled to

find articles that were more recent than this one, which is from 2008.

But even in 2008, real-world application was acknowledged as key. Gainsburg states

the K-12 mathematics-education community is virtually united on the importance of

connecting classroom mathematics to the real world (2008, p. 199). Teachers 10 years ago

had multiple reasons for thinking it was important. According to the study, the surveyed

teachers said that real-world connections helped by enhancing students understanding of

mathematical concepts, motivating mathematics learning, and helping students apply

mathematics to real problems (Gainsburg, 2008, p. 199).

However, the study found that many teachers, while valuing the connections, use

more cursory real-world applications in their math lessons. Most applications did not
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include student deep thinking or decisions; it was primarily based on teacher-provided

examples. Even the ever-prevalent word problems were not truly authentic, as their

typically unrealistic naturenumerically clean, always solvable, and including all (and

only) the necessary datarenders them artifacts peculiar to school; they actually teach

students to suspend real-world sense making (Gainsburg, 2008, p. 200). This wasnt

surprising, given that this study was 10 years ago. Sadly, I fear that teachers are still limited

in their real-world applications, even as the expectations have changed slightly in the last

10 years.

The newer Common Core State Standards for math also include the Standards for

Mathematical Practice (SMPs), which describe habits and approaches to being a successful

math thinker. One of these practices is Model with Mathematics, meaning that students

should apply math skills to real-world problems and representations (Common Core State

Standards Initiative, 2017). This is an expectation for all grades, all skills. Yet, many of the

obstacles that the studys teachers gave for not doing real-world applications are still

applicable: limited resources, time constraints, lack of ideas, worries about preparing for

state tests, etc. Thankfully, Ive at least seen fewer instances of the other obstacles teachers

from 10 years ago listed: student skills are insufficient to solve real-world problems;

struggling with problems is not helpful; need for students to master the skills/ideas before

trying to apply them; etc. The SMPs have encouraged more rigorous math curriculum and

expectations, and real-world applications should be a part of that.

Overall, I hope that math teachers in 2017 are more likely to use authentic real-

world applications in their units. I have concerns that the applications still tend to be

superficial. The applications that Ive seen in Common Core textbooks have been
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underwhelming so far. The shift toward problem- and project-based learning gives hope

that more resources will be available for teachers to incorporate real-world situations into

student work. This article provides a good reminder of what to look for in authentic

activities and why theyre important.

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References

California State Board of Education. (2013). The mathematics framework. Appendix D:

Mathematical modeling. Retrieved from

http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/ma/cf/documents/mathfwoverview.pdf

Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC). (2013). California teaching performance

expectations. Retrieved from https://www.ctc.ca.gov/docs/default-

source/educator-prep/tpa-files/tpes-full-version.pdf

Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI). (2017). Standards for mathematical

practice. Retrieved from http://www.corestandards.org/Math/Practice/

Costantino, P. M., & De Lorenzo, M. N. (2009). Developing a professional teaching portfolio: A

guide for educators (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Gainsburg, J. (2008) Real-world connections in secondary mathematics teaching. Journal of

Mathematics Teacher Education, 11(3), 199-219.