Promoting Ambitious Teaching and Learning through Implementing Mathematical Modeling in a PBL Environment

Chapter 23 Promoting Ambitious Teaching and Learning through Implementing Mathematical Modeling in a PBL Environment A Case Study Jennifer M. Suh, Jennifer M. SuhSearch for more papers by this authorPadmanabhan Seshaiyer, Padmanabhan SeshaiyerSearch for more papers by this author Jennifer M. Suh, Jennifer M. SuhSearch for more papers by this authorPadmanabhan Seshaiyer, Padmanabhan SeshaiyerSearch for more papers by this author Book Editor(s):Mahnaz Moallem, Mahnaz MoallemSearch for more papers by this authorWoei Hung, Woei HungSearch for more papers by this authorNada Dabbagh, Nada DabbaghSearch for more papers by this author First published: 03 April 2019 https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119173243.ch23Citations: 4 AboutPDFPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShareShare a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Summary This chapter presents a case study of two elementary Lesson Study teams implementing mathematical modeling units within a problem-based learning environment. The researchers documented how teachers co-designed and introduced the mathematical modeling task through an engaging ill-structured problem context, where students had to formulate a mathematical problem based on a real-world situation. Results revealed that teachers made specific design decisions to integrate mathematical modeling into their curriculum while making connections to interdisciplinary concepts and themes. Through the enactment of ambitious teaching through mathematical modeling lessons, teachers recognized several important pedagogical practices and mathematical norms that needed to be established in their classrooms. These included establishing norms for collaboration and participation; providing a meaningful and personally relevant context to engage modelers; encouraging open-endedness and creativity in mathematical modeling; and discovering how mathematics can be an instrumental tool to make sense of and make important decisions in the real world. Citing Literature The Wiley Handbook of Problem-Based Learning RelatedInformation