Changes in Polish School Mathematics Education in the Years 1989–2019

Polish mathematics education periodicals in times of educational reform after the collapse of the Warsaw Pact

“…The ideology affected the teaching style and educational structure as well. A teacher-centered approach was dominant; teachers had to obey very strict timelines specifying when and how long to focus on particular issues, and an individual approach was discouraged (Karpiński et al, 2020). Despite strong indoctrination, the methods of teaching mathematics reflected the changes taking place in Europe.…”

“…The creation of the AMT was the result of personal contacts between Wacław Zawadowski, a professor at Warsaw University, and Jan Potworowski from Brunel University in London. These led to the first teachers 'visits to England as part of the TEMPUS program (Karpiński et al, 2020). The AMT's goal is to cooperate in order to provide mathematics teaching quality improvements in Poland (http:// www.…”

“…Between 1970-1980 Wiadomości Matematyczne joined the national debate on mathematics education. The journal published many critical articles, in which the authors warned about the overload of new content and hasty excitement over new trends, which were to be implemented by unprepared teachers (Karpiński et al, 2020).…”

“…Therefore, by studying journals we can get a picture of both the reform and of the forces opposing it. In Poland, such a broad debate took place in the pages of popular dailies (such as Gazeta Wyborcza, 1999), which were mainly focused on other societal problems, as educational changes were taking place simultaneously with many other important reforms (Karpiński et al, 2020). Focusing on a selected type of periodical means that additional elements must be taken into account, such as the history of the periodical, its permanent structure, and its specific audience.…”

Transitions from school mathematics to university mathematics – an international variable for educational policies

“…This put them at 13th place among 65 countries and economies participating in the survey and fourth among European Union countries. Polish students have achieved a level of mathematical skills identical to Canadian students and statistically indistinguishable from Finnish students (Karpinski et al, 2020, p. 158).PISA has thus induced a new international coloniality in national educational programs. PISA thus exercises hegemonic control over curricula; due to the conception of skills-based competencies, curricula are dominated by labour market criteria and economic values, marginalising specific goals for education and cognitive development.…”