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Mathematics education as a ‘design science’

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Abstract

Mathematics education (didactics of mathematics) cannot grow without close relationships to mathematics, psychology, pedagogy and other areas. However, there is the risk that by adopting standards, methods and research contexts from other well-established disciplines, the applied nature of mathematics education may be undermined. In order to preserve the specific status and the relative autonomy of mathematics education, the suggestion to conceive of mathematics education as a ‘design science’ is made.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Mathematics, University of Dortmund, D-44221, Dortmund, FRG

    Erich Ch. Wittmann

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  1. Erich Ch. Wittmann
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Revised and extended version of the paper “Mathematikdidaktik als ‘design science‘”, published inJournal für Mathematikdidaktik 13 (1992), 55–70. I am indebted to Jerry P. Becker, P. Bender, H. Besuden, W. Blum, E. Cohors-Fresenborg, Th.J. Cooney, L. Führer, H.N. Jahnke, A. Kirsch, G.N. Müller, H._Chr. Reichel, H. Schupp, Ch. Selter, H.-J. Vollrath, J. Voigt, G. Walther and H. Winter for critical remarks to earlier drafts.

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Wittmann, E.C. Mathematics education as a ‘design science’. Educ Stud Math 29, 355–374 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01273911

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