Abstract / Synopsis
This qualitative case study attempts to understand instructional roles and goals that a mathematics professor in India sets and envisions for engaging students around abstract mathematical concepts. We generated the data with the professor while he participated in professional development program sessions we provided on the active role of students in learning mathematics. Guided by two theoretical lenses of Realistic Mathematics Education and Rehumanizing Mathematics, our data analysis identified three main themes through the teaching practices that he employs or conceives: (1) Supporting students to avoid faulty foundations by developing proofs, (2) Offering opportunities for exploration by giving appropriate guidance, and (3) Increasing motivation by providing the history of mathematical concepts. We offer implications for how two theoretical lenses can interact as well as how mathematics instructors, professional developers, and researchers might consider the teaching of mathematics.
DOI
10.5642/jhummath.YHFC6875
Recommended Citation
Praveen Chhikara & Rochelle Gutiérrez, "Should College Students Be Inventors? A Case Study of a Mathematics Professor in India," Journal of Humanistic Mathematics, Volume 15 Issue 2 (July 2025), pages 111-145. DOI: 10.5642/jhummath.YHFC6875. Available at: https://scholarship.claremont.edu/jhm/vol15/iss2/7
