ndividualized Mathematics Instruction for Adults: The Prison Education Context

Dr Linda Marie Ahl

Linda is a teacher and a researcher. She teaches upper secondary mathematics courses to adults enrolled in the Swedish prison education program. Her research interests include individualized instruction, the implementation of research findings in mathematics education, progress of conceptual fields, mathematical reasoning, mathematical communication, and design of classroom teaching.

Abstract

Linda will describe her research into individualized instruction of mathematics in the Swedish prison education system. Her approach tailors content, technology and pace to each student’s ability and interest, which is a challenge for adult educators. Adult mathematics students may each have a different prior knowledge of mathematics, as well as negative affective feelings and mathematics anxiety. Their rationale and motivation to study mathematics may also vary, including a wish to achieve certification, to overcome previous negative learning experiences, or other personal reasons.

Her thesis aims show how to organize individual mathematics instruction for adult students without certification, to give them an opportunity progress and reach their goals.

Linda undertook four case studies in the Swedish prison education system and the methods were:

• the development and evaluation of a student’s test of prior knowledge on proportional reasoning
• interviews focusing on a student’s rationales for learning
• a retrospective analysis of events in relation to feedback situations
• an analysis of a common student error in relation to the role of language representation as a signifier for triggering students’ understanding.
  She used the results to create a Model for Individualized Mathematics Instruction of Adults, MIMIA, in the Swedish prison education programme.