The International Commission on Mathematical Instruction, 1908-2008: People, Events, and Challenges in Mathematics Education (eBook)

The book presents the history of ICMI trough a prosopographical approach. In other words, it pays a lot of attention to the actors of the International movement. The portraits of the members of the ICMI Central Committees (1908-1936) and ICMI Executive Committees (1952-2008), and other eminent figures in ICMI history, who have passed away in the first 100 years of its life, are the guiding thread of the volume. Each portrait includes:

·         Biographical information

·         An outline of the various contributions made by the individual in question to the study of problems pertaining to mathematics teaching/education

·         Primary bibliography

·         Secondary with particular attention to the publications concerning the teaching of mathematics

·         Images: photos, book frontispieces, relevant manuscripts

The authors of the portraits (30 altogether) are researchers in the history of mathematics, mathematics, and mathematics education. The focus on the officer's role within ICMI and on his/her contributions to mathematics education, make the portraits different from usual biographies. In particular, since most officers were active mathematicians, the portraits shed light on aspects of their lesser-known activity. Connecting chapters place the action of these figures in the historical context and in the different phases of ICMI history.

Fulvia Furinghetti is a retired professor of mathematics education at the University of Genoa (Italy). Her research concerns mathematics education (computer science in mathematics teaching, proof, beliefs, teacher education, history in mathematics teaching, and public image of mathematics) and the history of mathematics education. She was one of the organizers of the celebrations of the Centenary of the journal L'Enseignement Mathématique in 2000 and the Centenary of the International Commission on Mathematical Instruction (ICMI) in 2008. In both cases, she was one of the editors of the proceedings. With Livia Giacardi, she has developed a website on the history of the first hundred years of ICMI. In 2001-2004 she chaired the International Study Group on History and Pedagogy of Mathematics (HPM) affiliated to ICMI.