The Mathematical Education (한국수학교육학회지시리즈A:수학교육)

Korean Society of Mathematical Education (한국수학교육학회)
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Adults' perception of mathematics: A narrative analysis of their experiences in and out of school

수학에 대한 성인들의 인식: 학교 안팎에서의 수학적 경험에 대한 내러티브 탐구

  • 조은영 (이화여자대학교 대학원 수학교육학) ;
  • 김래영 (이화여자대학교)
  • Received : 2022.08.08
  • Accepted : 2022.08.26
  • Published : 2022.08.31
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Abstract

The rapidly changing world calls for reform in mathematics education from lifelong learning perspectives. This study examines adults' perception of mathematics by reflecting on their experiences of mathematics in and out of school in order to understand what the current needs of adults are. With the two questions: "what experiences do participants have during their learning of mathematics in schools?" and "how do they perceive mathematics in their current life?", we analyzed the semi-structured interviews with 10 adults who have different sociocultural backgrounds using narrative inquiry methodology. As a result, participants tended to accept school mathematics as simply a technique for solving computational problems, and when they had not known the usefulness of mathematical knowledge, they experienced frustration with mathematics in the process of learning mathematics. After formal education, participants recognized mathematics as the basic computation skill inherent in everyday life, the furniture of their mind, and the ability to efficiently express, think, and judge various situations and solve problems. Results show that adults internalized school education to clearly understand the role of mathematics in their lives, and they were using mathematics efficiently in their lives. Accordingly, there was a need to see school education and adult education on a continuum, and the need to conceptualize the mathematical abilities required for adults as mathematical literacy.

본 연구는 급변하는 사회 변화의 흐름 속에서 수학교육을 평생교육적 관점에서 논의해야 할 필요성이 제기됨에 따라 현재 성인들이 필요로 하는 것이 무엇인지 파악하기 위해 성인들의 수학에 대한 인식을 탐구하는 연구이다. 이를 위해 "연구 참여자들의 학교 수학에 대한 경험은 어떠한가? 정규학교 교육 이후 연구 참여자들은 수학을 무엇이라고 인식하고 있는가?" 라는 연구 문제 하에 다양한 사회문화적 배경을 지닌 성인 10명을 인터뷰하고 내러티브 탐구 방법으로 분석하였다. 결과적으로 연구 참여자들은 학교 수학을 단순한 문제 풀이로 받아들이는 경향이 있었고, 수학적 지식의 유용성을 알지 못했을 때는 수학 학습 과정에서 수학에 대한 좌절이 나타날 수밖에 없었다. 이러한 교육 경험을 지닌 연구 참여자들이 정규 교육 과정 이후에는 수학을 '일상에 내재화되어 있는 기초 연산 및 기본 교양, 문제 해결에 유용하며 논리적인 사고 방식, 현상을 파악하고 표현하기에 유용한 도구'로 인식하고 있었다. 즉, 성인들은 학교 교육을 내재화시켜 수학이 자신의 삶에서 어떤 역할을 하는지 명확하게 파악하고 있었고, 자신의 삶에서 수학을 효율적으로 사용하고 있었다. 이에 따라 학교 교육과 성인 교육을 연결성 상에 놓고 바라볼 필요성과, 성인에게 필요한 수학 능력을 수학 소양으로 개념화할 필요성이 제기되었다.

Keywords

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