Initial Perspectives of Teacher Professional Development on Mathematical Modelling in Singapore: Conceptions of Mathematical Modelling

Abstract

In the Singapore context, mathematical modelling is often equated with the Model – Drawing Approach – a key pedagogical tool in the Singapore mathematics curriculum. Though related, the two concepts are not identical. The participants in a professional development workshop program on mathematical modelling were initially facilitated through a 1 day workshop to experience what mathematical modelling entailed. This chapter captures the participants’ understanding of mathematical modelling and the value they attached to it as part of the total mathematical learning experience for their students after having undertaken this professional development. Concerns the teachers had about mathematical modelling in the Singapore context are shared.