I specialize in research on mathematics education and the popularisation of mathematics. I lead research into the design of learning trajectories that deviate from the traditional, deductive, teacher-centred approach, in particular through the use of mathematical models and applications, visualisation, tactile and collaborative learning and extra-curricular activities. I am interested in questions about the why, when and how of learning mathematics (and what mathematics?) by which students, and the why, when and how of using mathematics (and what mathematics?) by which users. Issues: why are so many students alienated through mathematics? What to do about the invisibility (black boxing) od mathematics - yet, the subject is said to be useful in any area.
Mathematics is taught for its usefulness in society (in engineering, in business), and we can design mathematics education in such a way, that it becomes accessible and relevant to many more students than we reach now. Also, mathematics is a beautiful discipline, and we can offer real challenges to those students who excel in mathematics. I was author of the curriculum for Mathematics D (a secondary school subject in The Netherlands targeting the very best math students).Amongst other activities, I am co-founder of the division "Domain-specific aspects of Education" within the Dutch Education Research Association, and co-founder of the Mathematics Education Research Network withing the European Conference for Educational Research. From 2005-2013 I was editor for the Dutch peer-reviewed research journal "Tijdschrift voor Didactiek der Bètawetenschappen". I was advisor to the mathematics exhibits in NEMO, the Amsterdam Science Museum for Kids.
Education & Professional experience: I have a MSc in (Pure) Mathematics, main subject Logics, Automata and Formal Languages (University of Amsterdam, 1987) and a PhD in Educational Technology (University of Twente, 2002). For five years I was a mathematics teacher at secondary schools in Amsterdam; I taught there from age 13 and up. For more than ten years I was a teacher trainer in The Netherlands, Zimbabwe, specializing on (1) inquiry- and project-based learning, (2) use of technology, (3) pedagogical content knowledge. I worked at the TIMSS National Research Center in The Netherlands and South Africa. Before coming to the University of Agder, I was with University of Groningen and University of Amsterdam.
Research interests: mathematics education and popularisation of mathematics, in particular: mathematical modelling education, e-learning and mathematics, alternative formats for the assessment of mathematics, designing trajectories for meaningful and tactile mathematics learning, developing PCK (Pedagical Content Knowledge) for mathematics, and other areas.
Teaching activities: I am coordinator of the PhD-course "Research Methodology in Mathematics Education" (MA 607) at University of Agder, which attracts an international audience of PhD students and teacher trainers.
PhD students: Eivind Kaspersen (NTNU, completed 2017), Amrit Bahadur Poudel (UiA), Irene Skoland Andreassen (UiA), Ninni Marie Hogstad (UiA), Anita Movik Simensen (UiT), Gerrit Roorda (University of Groningen, completed 2012)
Additionally, I have supervised numerous Master's students.
Running projects:
- Completed research project(s):
Frejd, Peter; Vos, Pauline (2023). The spirit of mathematical modelling – a philosophical study on the occasion of 50 years of mathematical modeling education. The Mathematics Enthusiast, 21(1), 269 - 300. doi:10.54870/1551-3440.1626.
Vos, Pauline; Frejd, Peter (2022). Grade 8 students appropriating Sankey diagrams: The first cycle in an educational design research. Journal on Mathematics Education (JME), 13(2), 289 - 306. doi:10.22342/jme.v13i2.pp289-306.
Frejd, P. & Vos, P. (2021). A commentary on the Special Issue “Innovations in measuring and fostering mathematical modelling competencies”. Educational Studies of Mathematics. doi: 10.1007/s10649-021-10122-4
Greefrath, G & Vos, P. (2021). Video-based word problems or modelling projects – classifying ICT-based modelling tasks. In F. Leung, G. A. Stillman, G. Kaiser, & K. L. Wong (Eds.), Mathematical Modelling Education in East and West (pp. 489‒500). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66996-6_41
Vos, P. & Frejd, P. (2020). The object-tool duality in mathematical modelling - a framework to analyze students’ appropriation of Sankey diagrams to model dynamic processes. Avances de Investigación en Educación Matemática, 17, 52-66. doi: 10.35763/aiem.v0i17.305
Vos, P. (2020). On science museums, science capital and the public understanding of mathematical modelling. In G.A. Stillman, G. Kaiser, & E. Lampen (Eds.), Mathematical Modelling Education and Sense-making (pp. 63‒73). Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-37673-4_6
Gjesteland, Th & Vos, P. (2019). Affect and mathematical modeling assessment – A case study on students’ experience of challenge and flow during a compulsory mathematical modeling task by engineering students. In S. Chamberlain & B. Sriraman (Eds), Affect in Mathematical Modeling (pp. 257‒272). Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-04432-9_16
Hernandez-Martinez, P. & Vos, P. (2018). “Why do I have to learn this?” - A study from mathematical modelling education about the relevance of mathematics. ZDM Mathematics Education, 50(1-2), 245–257. doi: 10.1007/s11858-017-0904-2
Djepaxhija, B., Vos, P., & Fuglestad, A.B. (2017). Assessing mathematizing competences: Using students’ response processes to investigate item validity. In G.A. Stillman, W. Blum, and G. Kaiser (Eds.), Mathematical Modelling and Applications - Crossing and Researching Boundaries in Mathematics Education (pp. 601‒611). Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-62968-1_50
Suurtamm, C., Thompson, D. R., Kim, R. Y., Moreno, L. D., Sayac, N., Schukajlow, S., Silver, E., Ufer, S. & Vos, P. (2016). Assessment in Mathematics Education: Large-Scale Assessment and Classroom Assessment (ICME 13 Topical Surveys). Springer. ISBN 978-3-319-32393-0. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-32394-7_1
Last changed: 21.11.2023 08:11