Research and Practice in Mathematics Education

The International Congress on Mathematics Education took place in Copenhagen in 2004. In this connection a Survey Team has been established in order to address the issues of "research and practice in mathematics education". The team includes Anna Sfard (chairperson), Aline Robert, Yoshihiko Hashimoto, Gelsa Knijnik, Brazil and Ole Skovsmose. In my contribution I make special emphasis on the following three issues: (1) A certain prototype of mathematics classroom seems to dominate the research field. Mathematics education seems in many cases to be rather selective with respect to what practices to address. I try to challenge the dominance of the discourse of the prototype mathematics classroom. (2) Mathematics is in operation in a huge variety of practices outside the school mathematics practice. I find it important to broaden the school-centred discourse on mathematics education and to address the different possible relationships between various practices. This brings us to (3) socio-political issues of mathematics education. I find it important that the discourse, addressing the relationship between research and practice, includes a socio-political awareness, and that (1) and (2) could provide useful steps towards (3).