It would be easy to get the impression that there’s a huge gap between theory and practice in university mathematics teaching. On the one hand, educational research is widely portrayed as having exploded the myth that lecturing is an effective form of teaching. On the other hand, lectures remain a staple of most degree courses, and even seem to be reasonably popular with students studying mathematics [1, 2]. Are lecturers ignoring important evidence that could improve their teaching? Are educational researchers living in a fantasy world with no connection to the chalkface? Or can theory and practice, perhaps, be reconciled?
In a recent review [3], I have argued that the lecture, deployed as part of a sensible teaching strategy, still has much to offer and can be defended in the light of educational research. In this article, I wish to outline one way of looking at the functions that lectures can perform effectively. This account is certainly incomplete, but it suggests that it is possible to continue lecturing in university mathematics with some confidence that our students can benefit from it…
Introduction
It would be easy to get the impression that there’s a huge gap between theory and practice in university mathematics teaching. On the one hand, educational research is widely portrayed as having exploded the myth that lecturing is an effective form of teaching. On the other hand, lectures remain a staple of most degree courses, and even seem to be reasonably popular with students studying mathematics [1, 2]. Are lecturers ignoring important evidence that could improve their teaching? Are educational researchers living in a fantasy world with no connection to the chalkface? Or can theory and practice, perhaps, be reconciled?
In a recent review [3], I have argued that the lecture, deployed as part of a sensible teaching strategy, still has much to offer and can be defended in the light of educational research. In this article, I wish to outline one way of looking at the functions that lectures can perform effectively. This account is certainly incomplete, but it suggests that it is possible to continue lecturing in university mathematics with some confidence that our students can benefit from it…
