International Journal for the History of Mathematics Education
From Pierre de la Ramée, Algebra 1560
International Bibliography
Netherlands
Danny J. Beckers, [Jacob de Gelder and the didactics of mathematics] "Jacob de Gelder en de didactiek van de wiskunde" (Dutch) , Euclides, 1996, 71 (8): 254-262.
The author reports the didactical ideas of the highly productive mathematical textbook author Jacob de Gelder. De Gelder's textbooks were recommended for use in mathematics instruction by the Dutch government and would dominate the Dutch schoolbook market for the Latin schools from 1820 until 1840.
Danny J. Beckers, [Geometry teaching in 18th century Holland] "Meetkunde-onderwijs in 18de-eeuws Nederland" (Dutch), Nieuwe Wiskrant, 1996, 15,(3): 18-21
Danny J. Beckers, [Mathematics is the order of the day. Societies and mathematics education outside formal education on The Netherlands 1780-1830] "Het is al Mathesis dat de klok slaat'': Genootschappen en Wiskundeonderwijs in Nederland buiten het reguliere onderwijs om (1780-1830)", (Dutch), De Negentiende Eeuw, 1998, 22, (4): 220-234.
Around 1800, mathematical schools emerged in several of the Dutch cities. These schools were either attached to a local Society or originated from the activities of a group of local mathematical devotees.
D.J. Beckers, [A.C. Clairaut and the history of mathematics] "A.C. Clairaut en de geschiedenis van de wiskunde" (Dutch), Euclides, 1998, 73 (4): 111-114
A.C. Clairaut's textbooks on geometry and algebra were immensely popular in France. The author shows in which sense the French textbook author's didactical approach was inspired by history (as Clairaut stated himself) and what the role of his textbooks was in Eighteenth Century Dutch mathematics teaching
Danny Beckers, [P.J. Baudet (1777-1885) and the didactic of mathematics]. "P.J. Baudet (1777-1858) en de didactiek van de wiskunde." (Dutch) Euclides. Vakblad voor de Wiskundeleraar, 1999, 75(2): 39-45.
The author reports Baudet's contribution to the development of mathematical education in the beginning 19th century. Baudet's popular books often written in the form of a dialogue included aspects like learning by problem solving and applications of mathematics
Danny J. Beckers, "'Come Children!': some changes in Dutch arithmetic textbooks, 1750-1850", Paradigm, I-27,1999, 18-25.
Two arithmetic textbooks are put forward as being paradigmatic for arithmetic education in the Netherlands around 1800. Before 1800 the (in)famous Cijfferinge by Willem Bartjens. After 1800 the Allereerste gronden der Cijferkunst by Jacob de Gelder. The author discusses several aspects of these textbooks, illustrating shifting interests in the goals of arithmetic education in the Netherlands.
Danny J. Beckers, "'My little arithmeticians!': Peadagogic ideals in Dutch mathematics education, 1790-1840", Peadagogica Historica, 2000, 36: 979-1001.
During the first half of the 19th century mahematics textbooks for lower and middle class education were often used to confront the pupil with middle class values. Attitude towards study, general knowledge and morals made their appearance in mathematics textbooks. This form of mathematics education gradually disappeared by the middle of the century. Three hypotheses are formulated which could explain the disappearance of the phenomenon.
Danny J. Beckers, [A honest and studious girl" arithmetic teaching for girls in The Netherlands 1790-1850] "Een braaf en leerzaam meisje'': rekenonderwijs voor meisjes in Nederland" 1790-1850 (Dutch), Gewina, 2000, 23: 107-122.
Several arithmetic textbooks for girls were published in the Netherlands during the Nineteenth Century. It is noted that more girl-like stories are used for phrasing of some of the problems, but both in content and didactical approach this arithmetic for girls show remarkable resemblance to textbooks for boys.
Danny J. Beckers, [ In much wisdom is much grief. J.W. Karsten and his Peoples Geometry] "``In veel Wijsheid is veel Verdriet'': J.W. Karsten en zijn Volks-Meetkunde" (Dutch), Euclides, 2001, 77 (6): 145-149
Among the early Nineteenth Century Dutch mathematics textbooks the Volksmeetkunde (popular geometry) by J.W. Karsten is a very special book. It may be viewed as an exponent both of the attempts to enlighten the masses and the will to disseminate mathematical knowledge. The author discusses both the content of the book and the cultural background against which it was published
Danny J. Beckers, [The Despotism of mathematics. The rise of the propedeutical function of mathematics in The Netherlands 1750-1850] "Het despotisme der Mathesis". Opkomst van de propaedeutische functie van de wiskunde in Nederland 1750-1850. (Dutch) Ph.D. Dissertation, Nijmegen University 2003.
From the second half of the 18th century on mathematics became more prominent in education. The rise of this function, the ideas behind it and the discussion it provoked are discussed in this dissertation.
Danny J. Becker, Harm J. Smid (eds.), [The Elements of Arithmetic] Grondbeginselen der Rekenkunde (Dutch), Hilversum 2003
Reproduction of a textbook from 1829, with an extensive introduction. The textbook was published by a local mathematical Society in the city of Leyden. This Society, Mathesis Scientiarum Genitrix, dating from 1785, played for almost 200 years an important role in the Leyden educational system. One of the reasons for publishing this textbook was the introduction of the decimal system in The Netherlands
Klaas van Berkel, [Dijksterhuis. A Biografy] Dijksterhuis. Een biografie (Dutch) Amsterdam 1996
Extensivebiography of the well known historian of mathematics who also dominated the developments in Dutch mathematics education during the interbellum.
Klaas van Berkel, [The birth of a journal]. "De geboorte van een tijdschrift." (Dutch) Euclides. Vakblad voor de Wiskundeleraar, 1999-2000, 75(4): 111-116.
The author reminds of the first edition of the 'Bijvoegsel van nieuw tijdschrift voor wiskunde', an addition to a new journal of mathematics in 1924. This insert turned out to be a base for didactical discussion of mathematics instruction and from this the journal Euclides resulted.
K. Blom, [On the certificates of ability] Van de acten van Bekwaamheid (Dutch), Master Thesis University of Utrecht,1998.
Hans Freudenthal, "Change in Mathematics Education since the late 1950's - Ideas and realisation (An ICMI Report). The Netherlands", Educational Studies in Mathematics, 1978, 9: 261-270.
Fred Goffree, Martinus van Hoorn, Bert Zwaneveld (eds) [Hundred years mathematics education: a Jubilee volume] Honderd jaar wiskundeonderwijs: een jubileumboek. (Leusden: Nederlandse Vereniging van Wiskundeleraren , 2000)
This volume was published on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the first Dutch association of math teachers. It contains 32 articles of 30 authors, describing various aspects of 100 years of mathematics education in The Netherlands..
Marjolein Kool, [The art of numbers. A study of Dutch arithmetic books of the 15th and 16th century, with a glossary of arithmetical term] Die conste vanden getale. Een studie van Nederlandstalige rekenboeken uit de vijftiende en zestiende eeuw, met een glossarium van rekenkundige termen.Hilversum 1999.
In this doctoral thesis, a collection of 36 books on arithmetic (by part handwritten) , dating from the 15th and 16th century, written in Dutch, are discussed. They were written for the so-called "French schools", to learn future merchants the new Hindu Arabic number system. The writers also had to create new Dutch words for the various concepts and procedures the used and described. Their books had a long lasting influence on Dutch arithmetic
Ed de Moor, [From ''vormleer'' to realistic geometry: a historical-didactical study of geometry teaching to children of 4-14 years old in The Netherlands in the 19th and 20th century] Van vormleer naar realistische meetkunde : een historisch-didactisch onderzoek van het meetkundeonderwijs aan kinderen van vier tot vertien jaar in Nederland gedurende de negentiende en twintigste eeuw = From ''vormleer'' to realistic geometry (Utrecht: Univ. , 1999).
In the beginning of the 19th century Pestalozzi's Formenlehre (in Duch: Vomleer) was introduced in Dutch primary schools, marking the start of formal education in geometry in schools. Vormleer was abolished at the end of the century, leaving geometry almost absent in primary schools. In secondary school traditional Euclidean geometry was taught. From the sixties of the 20th century on an approach in the spirit of realistic math education brought geometry back in primary schools and revitalised geometry teaching in primary schools.
Ed W.A. de Moor, "Vormleer- an Innovation that failed", Paedagogica Historica, new series, XXXI-1 103-13, 1995.
Under the influence of Pestalozzi a Dutch variant of his Formenlehre was introduced in the beginning of the 19th century in Dutch primary schools. In 1857 it became even prescribed by the law on primary education. But in 1889 it unexpectedly was eliminated from a new law and replaced by drawing.
Ed W.A. de Moor, [100 years of "Vormleer": a failure] "100 jaar vormleer: een mislukking". De negentiende eeuw (Dutch), 20(2),113-128, 1996.
See the item above
Ed W.A. de Moor, [ Tatiana Ehrenfest Afanasjewa was right] "Het ‘gelijk'van Tatiana Ehrenfest Afanasjewa" (Dutch), Nieuwe Wiskrant, 12, 4, 1993 15-24.
Tatiane Ehrenfest-Afanasewa, married with the physicist Paul Ehrenfest, lived in Holland from 1912 until her death in 1964. She was the founder and leading figure of the " Mathematics Working Group", of which Freudenthal was one of the most important members. During the first decades the ideas of the working group did not have much influence, but in the long run they proved to be crucial for the development of the "Realistic Math" movement in The Netherlands.
Ed W.A. de Moor, [Jan Versluys and the beginnings of teaching methodology] "Jan Versluys en het ontstaan van de vakdidaktiek" (Dutch), Nieuwe Wiskrant, 14,1, 1994, 8-13.
Jan Versluys (1845-1920) published the first book on teaching methods of mathematics in The Netherlands. By his numerous schoolbooks and his activities in all kind of organisations he exerted an enormous influence on mathematics education in The Netherlands in the decades around 1900.
Ed W.A. de Moor, [ The displeasure of Dijksterhuis] "Het ongenoegen van Dijksterhuis" (Dutch), Nieuwe Wiskrant, 15, 4, 11996, 22-26
E.J. Dijksterhuis played a major role in mathematics education in the interbellum. He strongly opposed all ideas of the renewal of geometry teaching as proposed by Tatiana Ehrenfest. A result of his activities was the founding of Euclides in 1924, until today the magazine of the Dutch Math teachers association.
Harm Jan Smid, [An ill considered novelty? Introduction, extent, content and significance of mathematics education on French and Latin schools 1815-1863] Een onbekookte nieuwigheid? Invoering, omvang, inhoud en betekenis van het wiskundeonderwijs op de Latijnse en Franse scholen 1815-1863, Doctoral Thesis University of Delft, 1997.
Mathematics education on secondary schools started in The Netherlands in 1815, when it was made compulsary for Latin schools. Although the start was difficult, after some decades appropiate books were available and a corps of teachers who had in general a satisfactory knowledge of mathematics was doing the job. Due to the influence of the entrance exams of the Military and Civil Academies, mathematics became also on the more modern French schools an important topic. When in 1863 the HBS, the Dutch version of the German Realschule, came into being, the teaching of mathematics on that school could build on foundations laid in the years before.
Harm J. Smid, [The significance of David van Dantzig for mathematics education] "De betekenis van David van Dantzig voor het onderwijs in de wiskunde", in: G. Alberts en H. Blauwendraat (eds), Uitbeelden in Wiskunde. Proceedings symposium Van Dantzig 2000. (Dutch) Amsterdam 2000 (CWI-Publications), 39-57.
David van Dantzig published in 1928 and 1929 some articles on mathematics education which influenced the young Hans Freudenthal. Later on, in the fifties, he advocated a math curriculum that was more orientated toward societal needs.
Harm J. Smid, [Mathematics education in the 19th century. A disputed success story] "Wiskundeonderwijs in de negentiende eeuw. Een omstreden succes-verhaal", (Dutch) De Negentiende Eeuw, 22, 4, 1998, 209-219.
In the first half of the 19th century mathematics education gained a prominent position in the Dutch educational system. But this position was heavily criticized by the teachers of the traditional grammar schools
Harm J. Smid, "A conflict at the Leyden gymnasium" , Proceedings of the first European Summer University on the History and Epistemology in Mathematics Education, Montpellier 1995, 393-399.
Around 1824 a conflict arose between the headmaster and the mathematics teacher of the Leyden gymnasium, about the organization and content of the math teaching on that gymnasium. This conflict is illustrative for the problems math teaching encountered in the first decades of the 19th century.
M.P. Traas, [The history of the slide rule in connexion with societal developments] De geschiedenis van de rekenlineaal in samenhang met de maatschappelijke ontwikkelingen. Masters Thesis University of Groningen, 1996.
The slide rule was invented in the first half of the 17th century and in the centuries thereafter gradually improved and its possibilities extended. Until the introduction of electronic devices it was an indispensable tool for engineers and physicists. The slide rule was introduced in mathematics education in the Netherlands in 1968, but soon became old fashioned after the introduction of the electronic calculator.
J. Wansink, "Some aspects of the development of the Dutch mathematical schoolbookmarket from 1800 to 1940", Nieuw Archief, 1978, 206-230.
A survey of the textbooks used in mathematics education in The Netherlands for almost one century and a half. With a description of the didactical developments in this period.
