MATL Capstone

Research Project
Guidelines

Name: Jennifer Dumont

Date: January 30, 2017
Instructor: Nicole Bourassa

Outline for Capstone Question

Capstone question:

Where can mathematics be found in the world and how can this be
connected to the Quebec secondary mathematics curriculum?

Explanation of rationale for the importance of the topic or theme (max.

200 words):

In mathematics classrooms, the questions Why am I learning this?,

When will I ever use this?, How does this relate to the real-world?
come up often. Mathematics can become a topic that some students see
as just numbers and formulas and succumb to rote memorization. To
engage and understand mathematics in a meaningful way, students need
to understand the practical applications of the subject and where it can be
found in their lives. I will explore how mathematics can be connected to
the world and how these connections can be brought into a Quebec
secondary mathematics classroom.

Students should be able to take the information and skills they learn in a
mathematics classroom and transfer that knowledge to a new situation in
a way that is relevant to their lives. By finding these connections, lessons
can be created that center around important questions and concepts
relating to mathematics around the world that allows students to explore
the material in a more discovery oriented manner and to think critically
about the world around them. Students will have the opportunity to see
mathematics with a new perspective that connects to their passions which
would make learning student-centered and beyond just numbers and
formulas.

Explanation of the relevance to professional practice (max. 200 words):

The research will improve my professional practice by connecting the main

concepts from the Quebec mathematics curriculum to real-world examples
that I can bring into the classroom to enrich the lessons for the students.
These examples can easily be created into lesson and unit plans to make
 MATL Capstone
Research Project
Guidelines

the content learned centered around examples and questions. It will also
help reinforce my perspective of mathematics connecting to all aspects of
the world that will be emphasized in my classroom and teaching practices.
Having a collection of examples to pull from makes creating lessons
tailored to individuals or class needs easier and more adaptable.

The research can also serve as a guide for other mathematics teachers of
how they can connect different student-interests and topics in the world
with the material being taught. These connections can more easily be
brought into the classroom and tailored to each class if a large collective
of examples are found in advance. Furthermore, workshops for other
teachers can be conducted to share these lesson ideas and the repertoire
of examples can be continually expanded with teacher collaboration.

Detailed Action Plan:

January Submit Capstone Research Question
February Reading relevant articles
March Reading relevant articles
April Compiling 12-15 articles to use
May Rough draft
June Compiling examples
July Compiling examples and peer review
August Edit and finalize draft
September Submit final draft of written Capstone Research Project
December Presentation of Capstone Research project
 MATL Capstone
Research Project
Guidelines
 MATL Capstone
Research Project
Guidelines