Using Children’s Literature to Teach Mathematics: An Effective Vehicle in a STEM World

Furner, Joseph M.

doi:10.20897/ejsteme/3874

Cited by 22 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Other books that come from the same series and could also be useful for teaching critical thinking, include the following: Believe me, Goldilocks rocks (2013) by Nancy Loewen; Honestly, Red Riding Hood was Rotten! (2014) by Trisha Shaskan; Seriously, Rapunzel Needed a Haircut (2014) by Jessica Gunderson. In the field of mathematics, fairy tales that contain overt mathematical concepts such as Neuschwander's (2013), Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi, or non-overt mathematical concepts (Goldilocks and the Three Bears, see Carlsen, 2013) can be used to assist students with counting, sorting and reducing the anxiety that can arise for students when working mathematically (Columbia, 2017;Edelman, 2017;Furner, 2018). There is also a series of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) fairy tale books by Jasmine Brooke (2018), where students use well-known tales such as Rapunzel and the Princess and the Pea to solve science and technology problems.…”

Section: Multiple Subjects-cross Curriculummentioning

confidence: 99%

Searching for a happily ever after: using fairy tales in primary classrooms to explore gender, subjectivity and the life-worlds of young people

Saxby

2022

AJLL

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Fairy tales are ubiquitous in Australian primary schools. Drawing on a review of key literature, this paper aims to determine the implications of teaching fairy tales in the twenty-first-century primary classroom. Research points to the benefits of including fairy tales as a tool to improve all subject areas of the curriculum. Fairy tales present opportunities to positively engage students through the teaching of social justice and the development of emotional intelligence. The review of literature found that teachers need to be cautious and critical when teaching traditional fairy tales which often perpetrate an outdated, gender-ignorant representation of society, and allow students an opportunity to confront these ideas. The book form of Disney fairy tales can be problematic, particularly the earlier versions, which are criticised for being domesticated, sentimental and overly simplistic. The review has also found that multicultural fairy tales have enormous potential to increase cultural equity in the contemporary classroom, but unfortunately, they do not appear to be easily accessible in Australia. The fairy tale is constantly being reinvented and reimagined to fit into modern society, which has led to the emergence of the fractured fairy tale genre, where a traditional fairy tale is subverted. This review found that when used in a critical and inclusive manner, fairy tales have the potential to be an effective resource to teach primary school students in the contemporary classroom.

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Section: Multiple Subjects-cross Curriculummentioning

confidence: 99%

Searching for a happily ever after: using fairy tales in primary classrooms to explore gender, subjectivity and the life-worlds of young people

Saxby

2022

AJLL

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“…For example, Usnick and McCarthy [36] argued that adolescents could be motivated to learn mathematics through literature that is a springboard for explorations that integrate the curriculum. Furner [37] also described potential benefits for older students, concluding that using literature in the teaching of mathematics had the potential for increasing students' interest (and reducing anxiety) in STEM related subjects.…”

Section: Using Children's Literature In Mathematics Instructionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using Rich Narratives to Engage Students in Worthwhile Mathematics: Children’s Literature, Movies and Short Films

Russo

Russo²,

Roche

2021

Education Sciences

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Using children’s literature to support mathematics instruction has been connected to positive academic outcomes and learning dispositions; however, less is known about the use of audiovisual based narrative mediums to support student mathematical learning experiences. The current exploratory, qualitative study involved teaching three lessons based on challenging, problem solving tasks to two classes of Australian Year (Grade) 5 students (10 and 11 year olds). These tasks were developed from various narratives, each portrayed through a different medium (movie clip, short film, picture story book). Post lesson interviews were undertaken with 24 students inviting them to compare and contrast this lesson sequence with their usual mathematics instruction. Drawing on a self-determination theory lens, our analysis revealed that these lessons were experienced by students as both highly enjoyable and mathematically challenging. More specifically, it was found that presenting mathematics tasks based on rich and familiar contexts and providing meaningful choices about how to approach their mathematical work supported student autonomy. In addition, there was evidence that the narrative presentation supported student understanding of the mathematics through making the tasks clearer and more accessible, whilst the audiovisual mediums (movie clip, short film) in particular provided a dynamic representation of key mathematical ideas (e.g., transformation and scale). Students indicated an eclectic range of preferences in terms of their preferred narrative mediums for exploring mathematical ideas. Our findings support the conclusion that educators and researchers focused on the benefits of teaching mathematics through picture story books consider extending their definition of narrative to encompass other mediums, such as movie clips and short films.

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“…Joseph Furner (2018) found that the results of the teaching of mathematics may help to lower math anxiety and pique students interest and confidence in math and the STEM fields.…”

Section: Review Of Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

A Study on Class-Iii Mathematics Classroom Transaction

Reddy

agalaxmi²

2021

PIJR

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An attempt was made in the present investigation is Aim: A study on class-iii mathematics classroom transaction. Objective: To study the implementation of class-III mathematics text book in classroom transaction. Sample: The sample of the study consists of 50 teachers were purposefully selected form primary schools Rangareddy district of Andhra Pradesh. Tool: Class room observation schedule developed by the researcher. This consists of 25 statements with multiple answers.Conclusion: The study revealed the problem solving strategies used by the teachers in class-III mathematics classroom transaction.

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Using Children’s Literature to Teach Mathematics: An Effective Vehicle in a STEM World

Cited by 22 publications

References 24 publications

Searching for a happily ever after: using fairy tales in primary classrooms to explore gender, subjectivity and the life-worlds of young people

Searching for a happily ever after: using fairy tales in primary classrooms to explore gender, subjectivity and the life-worlds of young people

Using Rich Narratives to Engage Students in Worthwhile Mathematics: Children’s Literature, Movies and Short Films

A Study on Class-Iii Mathematics Classroom Transaction

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