Mathematics in technical vocational education

Mathematics for technical vocational education

Henk van der Kooij
Freudenthal Institute, The Netherlands

Abstract
In The Netherlands a new mathematics program is developed for vocational education (engineering) for students
in the age group 16-20. Because mathematics should really support the vocational courses, it was decided to
develop mathematical concepts starting in the context of engineering. Many mathematical issues that are taken
for granted in general education are of no use in vocational settings, while other aspects of mathematics turn out
to be very important. Another decision that was made in the project: the graphing calculator is a very useful tool
for algebraically poor students.

What has been done

Over the years 1996-2000 the TWIN project was carried out. The name TWIN stands for Techniek
(engineering), Wiskunde (mathematics), Information Technology, Natuurkunde (Physics).
The aim of the project was to introduce a new program for mathematics (and physics) in vocational courses
for engineering (age group 16-20) that
really supports the vocational subjects of study and later practice
integrates the use of IT tools in both the learning process as well as in assessment

Three important questions had to be answered through this project:

- What mathematical subjects are important for these vocational courses
- What mathematical attitudes should be developed by students (and teachers)
- How does mathematics arise from contextual problems and what kind of mathematics.

In the design of the new program, four different stages can be distinguished in the project.
In the first stage, a new set of attainment targets was described, as a kind of framework for the
development of materials. To make sure that the drive for learning mathematics should be to support
vocational courses, the goals were described on three levels. Of these levels some examples are shown here:
1. general goals, like: a student can
- recognize which mathematical methods are available and appropriate to describe, analyze and solve a
given problem in an engineering context
- recognize where and why IT tools (software packages, GC) can be used to analyze a contextual problem
- communicate the strategy that is used to attack a problem
2. general mathematical goals, like: a student can
- use mathematical methods in a correct way, with a good notion of accuracy and limitations.
- can use geometrical methods to solve an algebraic problem (if possible) and vice versa
- can use IT tools in an appropriate way
3. technical mathematical goals, like: a student knows
- the standard functions, including the graphs
- how a transformation on the graph of a standard function influences the formula of the function and the
other way around
- how to read and interpret graphs with log scales
The second and third level of these goals are subordinate to the first one. One of the consequences is that
basic mathematical skills should only be learned as far as they fit in the 'context' of the general goals.

At the second stage of the process the question of the importance of mathematical subjects for
vocational practice was addressed by working through vocational textbooks and discussing the question with
vocational trainers. It is, by the way, interesting to see that most vocational trainers are not aware of new
ideas about the use of mathematics. Most of them use the mathematical routines, merely algebraic

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algorithms, they learned themselves a long time ago. Topics that are not included in (Dutch) general
mathematics education, but that have importance for engineering are:
Functions are always relationships between Entities, with Dimensions and Units
Proportionality, both direct and inverse
Reading and interpreting complex graphs
Logarithmic Scales along the axis (or axes) of graphs
Some of the important findings of the project are connected to these topics.

The third stage of the content path was the design of student- and teacher materials for the full three-
years course. A team of members of the Freudenthal Institute and mathematics teachers from vocational
institutions worked together on materials in which the use of IT tools was integrated from the very
beginning: Graphing Calculator, software for graphs and 3D-geometry and dynamical, interactive Java
applets through internet. The materials were tested in five pilot schools and, based on the experiences,
revised. These revised materials then were used in about thirty more schools.
An important task for the project team was an in-service teacher training program for all teachers involved in
any stage of the project. About fifty mathematics teachers met for four years at least three times a year. Most
important aspects for the training were: the didactics of this new program, the design of assessment tools and
problems and the use of IT tools for teaching/learning mathematics.

The fourth stage of the content path was the design of experimental final exams for the pilot schools.
After evaluation, these exams became the standard for the national final mathematics exams for engineering.
From experiences with other reform programs, it was known that it is very difficult for teachers and
assessment developers to write test materials that really fit the learning outcomes of a new, non-traditional
program.

Significant findings
By far the most important finding for the designers of the new program was the fact that mathematics as it is
taught in general secondary education, is far away from what is needed for most fields of vocational practice.
In engineering there is no context in which general polynomials play a role. Power functions are very
important. Many relationships are connecting variables through direct or inverse proportionality.
Furthermore, when practitioners are using mathematical tools to solve a problem, they always stay close to
the context of the problem. Mathematicians are very well trained in handling value-free numbers as if they
are entities in themselves, but most users of mathematics are using numbers as values for (physical) entities.
Most of the time, they use the context of the problem as a kind of anchor for their calculations. The context
of the problem that has to be solved is used as a guide for the way in which they choose a solving strategy. In
general, these strategies are not easily translated into an algorithm that can be used to solve similar problems
in different contexts.
Situated abstraction and context anchors
In a recent study (Hoyles, Noss; 1998) it was found that practitioners like nurses and pilots use 'contextual
anchors' when solving problems. As soon as the context is left and the mathematical questions are posed in
an abstract, formal way, most of the problems cannot be solved at all.
As stated by Hoyles and Noss, practitioners at work do use situated abstraction in which they use some kind
of local mathematical models and ideas that are only partly valid in a different context.
More important than generalization and abstraction are transfer of (parts of) procedures to comparable
situations. Most of the times, this transfer is not complete in the way that every context gives rise to its own
modifications of the method.
One of the results of the TWIN project is that we now think about two ways of using algebra: the way of the
mathematician, who handles numbers and relationships between sets of numbers as if they were existing
objects. In that world standard routines and algorithms make sense and have value in itself.

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In the real world of applications to (physical) entities, algebra is used in a mixture of contextbound strategies
and rules from the discipline mathematics.
For vocational practice it seems much more important to strengthen the students in using these situated
strategies in a flexible way than to force them into the very strict rules of standard algorithmic skills of 'pure'
mathematics.
A simple example that shows this conflict between mathematicians and practitioners:

Height h and width w of a slide image on a screen depend on the distance d between slide projector and screen. In
the picture you see the formulas and the graphs of the relationship between h and d, w and d , and A and d.

> Which entities are described by the three formulas Y1, Y2 and Y3?
As you can see, the graph of Y3 intersects both other graphs. Remind: A = h w
> At what value of d do the graphs of w and A intersect?
And the graphs of h and A?

A typical answer from a student who is used to work in the context of the problem is: there is no intersection
because you compare meters to square meters, so these graphs don't fit in one picture.
A mathematical interesting question like this, asks for recognizing that a product of two factors is equal to
one of the factors if the other factor is equal to 1, but for that you have to step out of the real world into the
imaginary world of mathematics. In the real physical world this question is complete nonsense, because an
area can never be equal to a length.

The influence of the Graphing Calculator

Another important finding is about the use of the graphing calculator (GC) for algebra. It goes without
saying that for poor achievers in algebra, the availability of the GC can help them survive too complex
algebraic routine work. The visualization through this graphical tool makes it possible to offer mathematical
concepts in a way that is completely different from the traditional paper and pencil work, with much less
algebraic manipulations needed. But on the other hand, a certain amount of algebra language is needed to be
able to use the machine in a right way. The structure of a formula, for example, should be clear when
entering it in the machine. Students have hardly any blockades in using the tool. After practising and
discussing the use of it, they are becoming more flexible in attacking problems with the machine at hand. For
many teachers the blockade is quite big. Many of them dont see how this tool can be used to learn
mathematics. The most important reason seems to be that they are not able to accept that learning of
mathematics can differ from the way they taught it in the past with paper and pencil algorithms. An even
bigger obstacle are the vocational trainers. In some schools where mathematics teachers did accept the tool,
students were forbidden to use the tool in the vocational classes.

Where next, and why?

In the first place we are still involved in the support of teachers and the design of assessment tasks for
the further implementation of the new program. More work is needed in training programs for teachers (both
mathematics- and vocational teachers) on didactics and the use of technology. Other fields of vocational
training, like business and agriculture, are still using the traditional mathematics programs and should be
reformed too.
Another important task is related to the organisation of vocational education. Government and other
policy makers are redefining both aims and organisation of vocational training. Until now, the curricula for

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vocational courses were described in terms of qualifications. These qualifications described in detail mainly
factual knowledge that students should learn to make them be qualified for work. The discussion now
focuses on core competencies for the workplace. These competencies should define the kind of educational
activities that should be offered to students.
Very specific training in algorithmic behavior doesn't fit these competencies very well. But qualitative
reasoning in the context of a situated problem and trying to generalize the strategies can really add to this
new concept of vocational training. Mathematics in the way it is offered in the new program can really add to
these core competencies. But there is still a lot of work to do to find good descriptions, with examples of
good practice, to show that mathematics can be useful for general competencies for the workplace.
Another important change in vocational education also asks for involvement. Most institutions for
vocational training in engineering have adopted the educational structure of PBE (Problem Based
Education). This structure very well fits the idea of competencies. Students are working in groups of eight
persons on a theme for eight weeks. The electrical installation in a garage (electronics), the design of a
garden house (construction) or the production process in a beer brewery (mechanics) are topics for study.
Teaching isolated subjects, like in the past, does not fit this structure. The subjects are all integrated in the
theme. In these activities, the need for mathematics is present, but less visible. The task for us is to show how
and where the use of what mathematical tools are needed in the whole process of working on a theme. Both
organisational aspects of vocational education challenges us to define mathematical competencies and skills
for the workplace and to describe how they fit the concept of PBE.

references:

Goris, T.& van der Kooij, H. TWIN Wiskunde deel 1, 2 en 3. Leiden, The Netherlands: SMD
Hoyles, C. & Noss, R. (1998). Anchoring Mathematical Meanings in Practice. Presentation at
International Conference on Symbolizing and Modeling in Mathematics Education; Utrecht, June 1998
Kooij, H. van der. (1999). Useful mathematics for (technical) vocational education, Proceedings of
ALM-5. Goldsmiths College, University of London, England.
Kooij, H. van der. (2000). What mathematics is left to be learned (and taught) with the graphing
calculator at hand? Paper presented to WGA11 at ICME9, Tokyo, Japan.
Onstenk, J. (2000). Training for new jobs: contents and pilot projects. In: Tessaring, M. & Descy, P.
(eds). 2nd report on Vocational Training Research in Europe.CEDEFOP, Greece
For information about the project: TWIN web-site: www.fi.uu.nl/twin/en/

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