Third Wave Lab Melbourne research seminar
For those of you who are physically in Melbourne, the Third Wave Lab is thrilled to invite you to join us in a research seminar featuring one of our researchers, Dr Emily Sum. Her talk will examine the relevance (or not) of Neo-Confucian values in mathematics education in our society today. You are also welcomed to continue the discussion with Emily over lunch (own expense) after the seminar. Looking forward to seeing you on 8 May (Thu) at noon!
About the seminar:
Confucianism is usually regard as outdated and irrelevant, even in the Asia-Pacific region. Nonetheless, Confucian values are often asserted as the underlying factors contributing to students’ outstanding performances in international comparative studies in mathematics. Indeed, the cultural valuing of education and examinations as means of upward mobility and financial security is undeniable. At the same time, high-stakes examinations have created a great deal of stress and anxiety on learners, their families and teachers. These affect their individual life satisfaction which may in turn impact negatively on their health and psychological well-being. In this seminar, Emily will revisit Neo-Confucian notions concerning true learning and learner well-being, as documented in the Record of self-reflection and core Confucian classics. To illustrate the relevance of Confucian virtues in contemporary society, the assessment framework of the OECD study on Social and Emotional Skills will be referred to as an example. Emily will then examine whether these moral virtues contribute to reading and writing the world with mathematics, to personal well-being, and to being more morally sensitive to others’ needs and interests.
About the presenter:
Emily is a Research Fellow in the Faculty of Education, The University of Melbourne. Her main research interest lies in the area of Korean Neo-Confucian philosophy and its relevance to – and implications for – contemporary mathematics education. Her research work also focuses on the socio-historical-political aspects of mathematics curriculum in the East Asian context. She is co-author of a book chapter in an upcoming Springer book, Culture Matters to Mathematics Teaching and Learning.