Mathematical Modelling for Teachers

Book excerpt: Mathematical Modelling for Teachers: Resources, Pedagogy and Practice provides everything that teachers and mathematics educators need to design and implement mathematical modelling activities in their classroom. Authored by an expert in Singapore, the global leader in mathematics education, it is written with an international readership in mind. This book focuses on practical classroom ideas in mathematical modelling suitable to be used by mathematics teachers at the secondary level. As they are interacting with students all the time, teachers generally have good ideas for possible mathematical modelling tasks. However, many have difficulty translating those ideas into concrete modelling activities suitable for a mathematics classroom. In this book, a framework is introduced to assist teachers in designing, planning and implementing mathematical modelling activities, and its use is illustrated through the many examples included. Readers will have access to modelling activities suitable for students from lower secondary levels (Years 7 and 8) onwards, along with the underlying framework, guiding notes for teachers and suggested approaches to solve the problems. The activities are grouped according to the types of models constructed: empirical, deterministic and simulation models. Finally, the book gives the reader suggestions of different ways to assess mathematical modelling competencies in students.