MaT²SMC: Materials for Teaching Together: Science and Mathematics Teachers collaborating for better results

Abstract

Let us start with an important statement: Mathematics and Science teachers do a good, and often an outstanding, job in teaching young people the basic knowledge of their respective fields! It is not the intent of this book to criticize what they do or how they do it. Keeping that in mind, and noting the fact that the teaching content of these fields intersects and overlaps, we observed – and this took us by surprise – that there is hardly any collaboration or consultancy between mathematics and science teachers (or textbook authors). Mathematics teachers often use science contexts in tasks, and science teachers often use mathematics, however they are usually working independently. Science context is often arbitrarily chosen, mathematics used with little regard towards learning. Looking through existing teaching and learning materials, we quickly discovered that these materials, too, were mostly designed by either science, or mathematics educators, and that they do not offer active support or lots of opportunities for collaboration. Being an international team of mathematics and science teacher educators, we set out to improve the situation. We developed materials that are useful for both mathematics and science teachers, materials that are designed to increase the competences in both subjects at the same time, allowing for interdisciplinary learning and for collaboration between science and mathematics teachers, ranging from common lesson planning to team teaching. These materials have been piloted and tested by students, teachers and teacher educators in several countries, as well as reviewed by two education specialists. Based on this feedback, the materials were then revised and brought into their final form. The materials in this book, containing lesson descriptions, work sheets etc., can be used as they are by mathematics and science teachers. They however also can be taken apart and set together in a new and different way, or bits and pieces of them can be used in teaching, as the teachers see fit. They also can be used in teacher training, making science and mathematics teacher trainees aware that working together – now and in their later careers – can improve their experience and the learning of their future students. We hope that with this book we encourage teachers to actively seek collaboration, so regardless whether you are a science or a mathematics teacher, go ahead and join forces with a colleague from the other field!