Why to publish on mathematics education so as to be useful? Educational Studies in Mathematics and its founder Hans Freudenthal

Abstract

In 1968, Hans Freudenthal launched the journal Educational Studies in Mathematics. This paper describes the events leading to the foundation of this journal. It turns out that his wife, Suus Freudenthal, deserves more credit for her husband’s interest and achievements in mathematics education. The couple was interested in education from a social democratic perspective. The events leading to the foundation of the journal show that lack of success for Dutch national educational reforms, combined with problems noted by his colleagues abroad on their respective reforms, triggered Hans Freudenthal to embark on this enterprise, and contributed to its success.