The Evolution of High School Mathematics Teaching: From the 1960s to Today

The evolution of high school mathematics teaching over the past few decades has been nothing short of remarkable. Different eras have brought about unique approaches to the same basic subject, reflecting broader changes in educational philosophies and societal needs. Let's take a journey through time to explore how math teaching has changed from the 1960s to the present day.

1960s: Traditional Mathematical Problem Solving

During the 1960s, math teaching was rooted in straightforward problem-solving techniques. The focus was on arithmetic and basic algebra, with an emphasis on correct solutions without extensive explanation. Consider this example from the 1960s:

Question: A peasant sells a bag of potatoes for 10. His costs amount to 4/5 of his selling price. What is his profit?

1970s: New Math Trend

The 1970s saw the introduction of the "new math" movement, which sought to introduce more rigorous mathematical concepts to younger students. This approach aimed to teach the logic behind arithmetic operations, rather than just memorizing algorithms. Here is a sample problem from this era:

Question: A farmer sells a bag of potatoes for 10. His costs amount to 4/5 of his selling price that is 8. What is his profit?

1970s: New Math with an Added Twist

A playful twist on the "new math" approach saw the introduction of set theory and cardinality in problem-solving. This method emphasized the conceptual understanding of numbers and operations. Consider the following question:

Question: A farmer exchanges a set P of potatoes with set M of money. The cardinality of the set M is equal to 10 and each element of M is worth 1. Draw ten big dots representing the elements of M. The set C of production costs is composed of two big dots less than the set M. Represent C as a subset of M and give the answer to the question: What is the cardinality of the set of profits?

1980s: Standardized Problem Solving

The 1980s brought a return to more traditional problem-solving methods, with a focus on clearly stated problems and straightforward solutions. Here is an example from this period:

Question: A farmer sells a bag of potatoes for 10. His production costs are 8 and his profit is 2. Underline the word 'profit'.

1990s: Technology and Real-World Application

Closer to the present, the 1990s marked a significant shift towards integrating technology and real-world application in math education. Students were encouraged to use calculators and graphing software to explore mathematical concepts. Here is a representative question from this era:

Question: A farmer sells a bag of potatoes for 10. His or her production costs are 0.80 of his or her revenue. On your calculator, graph revenue vs. costs. Run the POTATO program to determine the profit. Discuss the result with students in your group. Write a brief essay that analyzes this example in the real world of economics.

Conclusion

The evolution of high school mathematics teaching from the 1960s to today reflects changing educational philosophies and societal demands. From traditional problem-solving in the 1960s to the integration of technology and real-world application in the 1990s, each era has brought unique insights and methods to the classroom. As we continue to evolve, it will be interesting to see how future generations approach the teaching and learning of mathematics.

Keywords: math teaching evolution, high school mathematics, teaching methods changes