The Influence of Technology on the Mathematics Curriculum

Abstract

There had been repeated calls for the use of information and communication technologies in education in general and in mathematics teaching in particular, to meet the challenges of the information age. Inclusion of calculators and computers into the mathematics curriculum is found in many systems around the world. By investigating the curriculum documents of six ‘Western’ countries (the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, France, and the Netherlands) and eight ‘Far Eastern’ systems (Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Malaysia), we can visualise what impact technology on mathematics education is bringing about. By investigating the need for repositioning the mathematics curriculum in the last section, the author initiates a discussion on what is meant by ‘mathematics’ and by ‘mathematics education’.