ABSTRACT

Mathematics provides one of the most powerful means of modelling and solving problems across a range of subjects in science and technology. Examples are biology, chemistry, geography and physics, which all make use of mathematical techniques to model situations and solve problems. Many of these mathematical techniques involve using algebraic methods — methods which are considered valuable because of their generalizability. But students find it difficult to use and understand the generalizability of a mathematical model. They do not easily make links between the mathematics they use in different contexts — so, for example, using algebraic methods in a chemistry lesson is different from using algebraic methods in biology. The reasons for this are complex and it is not simply a matter of the student ‘forgetting her algebra’ or ‘never being taught maths properly’. The practice of mathematics differs between subjects, because the situations and objects to be modelled are different.