American Mathematicians as Educators, 1893-1923

David Lindsay Roberts

ABOUT THE BOOK

From the 1890s to the 1920s American mathematical research grew substantially in quantity and quality. However, few mathematicians were able to pursue research exclusively; most mathematicians, whether active researchers or not, were employed as teachers by colleges and universities. Their degree of interest in the teaching role varied greatly: while some shunned instructional issues, a few mathematicians became deeply involved not only in teaching undergraduates but in attempting to influence mathematics education in the secondary and even the elementary schools. This book seeks to understand these divisions among the mathematicians regarding pedagogy, to explore alliances and conflicts between mathematicians and other educators, and to explain the resulting effects on educational institutions and on the mathematicians themselves.

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About the Author

David Lindsay Roberts has an M.A. in mathematics and an M.S. in industrial engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His Ph.D. is from the Johns Hopkins University, in the history of science. He is currently chair of the Americas Section of the International Study Group on the Relations between the History and Pedagogy of Mathematics, and an adjunct professor of mathematics at Prince George’s Community College, in Largo, Maryland.

Reviews

In this engaging account, historian David Lindsay Roberts traces changes in American attitudes towards school mathematics from the early nineteenth century to the 1920s. He analyzes the professional goals, educational aims, and rhetorical flourishes of carefully selected mathematical astronomers, research mathematicians, university administrators, educators, and psychologists. The book should intrigue all those who seek to understand the place of mathematical learning within the American experience.

Dr. Peggy A. Kidwell
Curator of Mathematics, Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History

What should American school children learn about math, and how should they learn it? And what role should university mathematicians play in devising school curricula? These are urgent contemporary questions, of course, but they are also deeply historical ones. David Roberts has provided our first detailed chronicle of the initial salvos in our so-called “math wars.” Anyone who wants to understand our current battles–or to suggest a truce in the future–would be wise to follow Roberts into the past.

Jonathan Zimmerman
Professor of Education and History and Director of the History of Education Program, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, New York University

John L. Rudolph
Professor, Departments of Curriculum and Instruction, History of Science, and Educational Policy Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Competing theories for the improvement of mathematics education abound in history. This account focuses on ones that uniquely helped to spur the beginning of the modern scientific and technological advancement of the United States. Roberts’s treatment is objective, detailed, and nuanced; public pronouncements are carefully weighed against actions and private documents. The ironic misunderstandings that not infrequently arose amongst the main actors and commentators are deftly handled. Altogether this work provides a valuable background to current discussions on educational reform, which often appear to be re-inventing the wheel.

Albert C. Lewis
Educational Advancement Foundation, Austin, Texas

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Publication Date: Jul 15, 2012

ISBN/EAN13: 0983700443 / 9780983700449

Page Count: 338

Binding Type: US Trade Paper

Trim Size: 6" x 9"

Language: English

Color: Black & White

Chapter 1. Introduction
Chapter 2. Mathematics Education in Nineteenth-Century America
2.1. Early Century Justifcations for Studying Mathematics
2.2. Charles W. Eliot: A Harvard Man Confronts Mathematics
2.3. Emerging Challenges to Mathematics in the Curriculum
2.4. Mathematics in Nineteenth-Century Educational Institutions
2.5. Establishment of Mathematics at the Johns Hopkins University
2.6. An 1890 Survey of the Educational Scene in Mathematics
Chapter 3. Simon Newcomb: One Mathematician’s Educational Theory and Practice
3.1. Newcomb’s Educational Roots
3.2. Newcomb at Johns Hopkins
3.3. Newcomb as Textbook Writer and Educational Theorist
Chapter 4. The Committee of Ten and Its Mathematics Conference
4.1. Immediate Origins and Basic Facts
4.2. The Mathematics Conference and Its Report
4.3. Near Term Response to the Report
4.4. Long Term Response to the Report 1
Chapter 5. E. H. Moore: Leader of a New Generation of American Mathematicians
5.1. Elite American Mathematical Activity from Newcomb to Moore
5.2. Moore’s Education and Early Career
5.3. Moore, Harper, and the University of Chicago
5.4. Moore’s Initiatives for Enhancing American Mathematical Research
Chapter 6. The Development of E. H. Moore’s Pedagogic Program
6.1. The Place of Pedagogy in Moore’s Department of Mathematics
6.2. Initial Instances of Moore’s Interest in Pedagogy
6.3. Moore’s Championship of the Laboratory Method of Instruction
Chapter 7. Moore’s Pedagogy in Relation to Contemporary Educational Thinkers
7.1. William Rainey Harper
7.2. John Dewey
7.3. John Perry
7.4. Felix Klein
7.5. Simon Newcomb and the Committee of Ten
Chapter 8. The Reception of Moore’s Program
8.1. Promotion of Moore’s Ideas at the University of Chicago
8.2. National Reaction to Moore’s Proposals and Vision
Chapter 9. School Mathematics on the Defensive
9.1. Questioning the Place of Mathematics in the School Curriculum
9.2. Organized Responses By Mathematical Educators
9.3. The Reorganization Report of 1923
Chapter 10. Conclusion
Appendix A. Acronyms
Appendix B. Bibliographical Note
B.1. Introduction
B.2. Mathematics Education in Nineteenth Century America
B.3. Simon Newcomb: One Mathematician’s Educational Theory and Practice
B.4. The Committee of Ten and Its Mathematics Conference
B.5. E. H. Moore: Leader of a New Generation of American Mathematicians
B.6. The Development of E. H. Moore’s Pedagogic Program
B.7. Moore’s Pedagogy in Relation to Contemporary Educational Thinkers
B.8. The Reception of Moore’s Program 313
B.9. School Mathematics on the Defensive
B.10. Conclusion
Index

American Mathematicians as Educators, 1893-1923

David Lindsay Roberts

ABOUT THE BOOK

About the Author

Reviews

Table of Contents