DOCUMENT RESUME ED 378 043 SE 055 588 AUTHOR Ernest, Paul, Ed. TITLE Constructing Mathematical Knowledge: Epistemology and Mathematics Education. Studies in Mathematics Education Series: 4. REPORT NO ISBN-0-7507-0354-7 PUB DATE 94 NOTE 297p.; For the companion volume, "Mathematics, Education, and Philosophy: An International Perspective," see SE 055 587. AVAILABLE FROM Falmer Press, Taylor & Francis Inc., 1900 Frost Road, Suite 101, Bristol, PA 19007. PUB TYPE Books (010) Collected Works General (020) EDRS PRICE MFO1 /PC12 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Constructivism (Learning); Elementary Secondary Education; *Epistemology; *Hermeneutics; *History; *Mathematics Education; *Psychology ABSTRACT This book illustrates the breadth of theoretical and philosophical perspectives that can be brought to bear on mathematics and education. Part 1, "Constructivism and the Learning of Mathematics," contains the following chapters: (1) "A Radical Constructivist View of Basic Mathematical Concepts" (E. von Glasersfeld); (2) "Interaction and Children's Mathematics" (L. P. Steffe & R. Tzur); (3) "Radical Constructive Criticisms of von Glasersfeld's Radical Constructivism" (R. S. D. Thomas); (4) "Articulating Theories of Mathematics Learning" (S. Lerman); (5) "Is Radical Constructivism Coherent?" (M. Otte); (6) "Social Constructivism and the Psychology of Mathematics Education" (P. Ernest); (7) "Mathematics, Computers and People: Individual and Social Perspectives" (E. Smith); and (8) "The Context of Cognition: The Challenge of Technology" (K. Crawford). Part 2, "Psychology, Epistemology and Hermeneutics," contains: (9) "Another Psychology of Mathematics Education" (D. Pimm); (10) "On Interpretation" (D. Tahta); (11) "Potent'ial Space and Mathematical Reality" (P. Maher); (12) "Towards a Hermeneutical Understanding of Mathematics and Mathematical Learning" (T. Brown); and (13) "The Myth of Mathematics" (F. Seeger & H. Steinbring). Part 3, "Enquiry in Mathematics Education," contains: (14) "The Problem of the Problem and Curriculum Fallacies" (S. I. Brown); (15) "Enquiry in Mathematics and in Mathematics Education" (J. Mason); (16) "Demystifying Mathematics Education through Inquiry" (M. Siegel & R. Borasi); and (17) "Reading to Learn Mathematics in the Primary Age Range" (C. W. Desforges & S. Bristow). The final section, Part 4, "History, Mathematics and Education," contains: (18) "The Idea of 'Revolution' As an Instrument for the Study of the Development of Mathematics and Its Application to Education" (F. Speranza); and (19) "Mathematical Practices, Anomalies and Classroom Communication Problems" (A. Sfard). Contains references with each chapter and a subject index. (MKR)