A specialist in mathematics education, Schoenfeld will discuss how the discipline can be viewed as a form of ‘sense-making.’ He will survey new standards and tests designed to spur desired teaching and learning outcomes, making students better mathematical thinkers.
Schoenfeld is the Elizabeth and Edward Conner Chair in the Graduate School of Education at UC Berkeley and an affiliated professor in the Mathematics Department. Widely published, he is the author of Mathematical Problem Solving, which characterizes what it means to think mathematically. His most recent book, How We Think, provides detailed models of human decision making in complex situations. The book analyzes classroom routines, unconventional lesson plans and how teachers reach decisions during instruction.
Schoenfeld was lead author for grades 9-12 of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics’ Principles and Standards for School Mathematics. He was also one of the founding editors of Research in Collegiate Mathematics Education, and has served as associate editor of Cognition and Instruction.
President of the American Educational Research Association in 1988-89, Schoenfeld is an AERA Fellow. In 2013 he was awarded the association’s Distinguished Contributions to Research in Education Award, the organization’s highest honor.
The Sept. 19 Kieval Lecture is open to the public and free of charge. Earlier that same day, at 4 p.m., Schoenfeld will present an HSU Mathematics Department colloquium titled “How We Think: A Theory of Human Decision-Making, with a Focus on Teaching.” The presentation will be in Room 133 of the Science B Building. A pre-colloquium tea is scheduled at 3:30 p.m. on the third floor of the Behavioral and Social Sciences Building.