A Theoretical Framework for Individual Views of Mathematics in Lifelong Mathematics Learning

Abstract

　　The purpose of this paper is to construct a framework and set viewpoints for understanding views of mathematics from the perspective of lifelong learning. Views of mathematics have originally been discussed in the context of students’ mathematics learning in schools and also in it of adults’ mathematics learning. The framework enabled to integrate these contexts and analyse individual views of mathematics in detail. The meaning of “mathematics” in lifelong learning can be classified into four categories. This is based on the two characteristics of the environment where people learn mathematics, and the time period of the learning. In the time-oriented category, in school means the period of elementary and secondary education, and out of school means the opposite. On the other hand, in the spatial category, in school means the student is under structured education, whereas out of school the student is not. 　

　　In addition, we identified the viewpoints of ‘person’, ‘role’, and ‘situatedness’ to analyse the individual views of mathematics. Further, in order to characterise the categories, we analysed these individual views on the categories using the viewpoints.