Abstract
The relationship between physics and mathematics is reviewed upgrading the common in physics classes’ perspective of mathematics as a toolkit for physics. The nature of the physics-mathematics relationship is considered along a certain historical path. The triadic hierarchical structure of discipline-culture helps to identify different ways in which mathematics is used in physics and to appreciate its contribution, to recognize the difference between mathematics and physics as disciplines in approaches, values, methods, and forms. We mentioned certain forms of mathematical knowledge important for physics but often missing in school curricula. The geometrical mode of codification of mathematical knowledge is compared with the analytical one in context of teaching school physics and mathematics; their complementarity is exemplified. Teaching may adopt the examples facilitating the claims of the study to reach science literacy and meaningful learning.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 7-37 |
| Number of pages | 31 |
| Journal | Science and Education |
| Volume | 27 |
| Issue number | 1-2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1 Mar 2018 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2018, Springer Science+Business Media B.V., part of Springer Nature.
Keywords
- Cultural knowledge of science
- Discipline culture
- Mathematics in physics curriculum of secondary school
- Physics-mathematics relationship