A history of the 'new mathematics' movement and its relationship with the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Standards

This dissertation provides a history of the "new mathematics" movement of the 1950s and 1960s in the United States. The history of the "new math" education movement was explained in terms of the general curriculum in schools, the mathematics curriculum, the teaching standards, and the pedagogical techniques used. A complete analysis of the "new math" movement was accomplished by separately investigating major and minor "new math" projects.;Next, the effects of the "new math" movement were discussed concerning educational changes in the 1960s and 1970s. In conjunction, the aftermath of the "new math" movement was explained providing suggestions as to why this movement is often seen as having failed. A short history of reform from the 1970s to the present was provided.;The "new mathematics" movement was then compared with the current mathematics reform movement led by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Five general themes comparing the "new math" movement with the Standards were discussed: philosophy, pedagogy, teachers, content, and assessment. Some of the key findings from the study were: (1) The major philosophy of "teaching for understanding" for each movement is similar. (2) Pedagogical techniques such as discovery learning and cooperative learning are emphasized in both movements. (3) The importance of teacher understanding and support in curriculum reform are essential in both movements but has only occurred in the current reform movement. (4) The current mathematics curriculum contains most topics promoted in the "new math" movement, and the structure of mathematics classes in high school today is a result of the "new math" movement. (5) Alternative assessments were needed in the "new math" era (but did not exist) and are supported in the current reform to accurately test the success of the reform movements.