Journal of the Mathematics Council of the Alberta Teachers’ Association
Volume 45 Issue 2, June 2008
18 – 20
Textbooks in Mathematics Learning: The Potential for Misconceptions
Ann Kajander and Miroslav Lovric
As textbook authors ourselves’ (for example, Kajander 2007; Lovric 2007a) we have found ourselves face to face with the tension between the historical use of the text as the mathematical authority and the notions of mathematics reform as described in the Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) 2000), which position the learners as prominent participants in their own learning. “Rather than the textbook and the teacher acting as major sources of authority, this intended curriculum encourages students to rely on their own mathematical reasoning and evidence when discussing mathematical solutions” (Herbel-Eisenmann 2007, 345).
