The book presents the history of ICMI trough a prosopographical approach. In other words, it pays a lot of attention to the actors of the International movement. The portraits of the members of the ICMI Central Committees (1908-1936) and ICMI Executive Committees (1952-2008), and other eminent figures in ICMI history, who have passed away in the first 100 years of its life, are the guiding thread of the volume. Each portrait includes:
· Biographical information
· An outline of the various contributions made by the individual in question to the study of problems pertaining to mathematics teaching/education
· Primary bibliography
· Secondary with particular attention to the publications concerning the teaching of mathematics
· Images: photos, book frontispieces, relevant manuscripts
The authors of the portraits (30 altogether) are researchers in the history of mathematics, mathematics, and mathematics education. The focus on the officer’s role within ICMI and on his/her contributions to mathematics education, make the portraits different from usual biographies. In particular, since most officers were active mathematicians, the portraits shed light on aspects of their lesser-known activity. Connecting chapters place the action of these figures in the historical context and in the different phases of ICMI history.
· Biographical information
· An outline of the various contributions made by the individual in question to the study of problems pertaining to mathematics teaching/education
· Primary bibliography
· Secondary with particular attention to the publications concerning the teaching of mathematics
· Images: photos, book frontispieces, relevant manuscripts
The authors of the portraits (30 altogether) are researchers in the history of mathematics, mathematics, and mathematics education. The focus on the officer’s role within ICMI and on his/her contributions to mathematics education, make the portraits different from usual biographies. In particular, since most officers were active mathematicians, the portraits shed light on aspects of their lesser-known activity. Connecting chapters place the action of these figures in the historical context and in the different phases of ICMI history.
"Encyclopedic in scope, with exhaustive bibliographies to back up every chapter, the volume has something for everyone and anyone with an interest in the modern history and evolution of mathematical instruction." (Judith Goodstein, The Mathematical Intelligencer, Vol. 46 (2), June, 2024)
"This book is essential for anyone interested in the history and pedagogy of mathematics from an international perspective, a book for reading and browsing and a rich resource for those seeking reliable information about important personalities and events in the history of ICMI over the past century." (Dirk De Bock, Educational Studies in Mathematics, Vol. 115 (3), 2024)
"In The International Commission on Mathematical Instruction, 1908-2008: people, events and challenges in Mathematics education, Fulvia Furinghetti and Livia Giacardi lead a voluminous and highly documented history of ICMI (International Commission on Mathematical Instruction), the first large-scale international organization to bring together questions and actors in mathematical education. ... My genuine enthusiasm for this book, which is both precise, extensively documented, and synthetic ... ." (Thomas Preveraud, Historia Mathematica, March 16, 2024)
"The book is a testament to the thousands of hours invested by the editors to record and share the history of ICMI with anyone who has an interest in mathematics education. Its focus on primary sources and data nicely complements the varied perspectives found in The First Century. Thus, it is worth acquiring by any college or university library with a mathematics education program and by historians of mathematics education." (Amy Ackerberg-Hastings, MAA Reviews, July 15, 2023)
"This book is essential for anyone interested in the history and pedagogy of mathematics from an international perspective, a book for reading and browsing and a rich resource for those seeking reliable information about important personalities and events in the history of ICMI over the past century." (Dirk De Bock, Educational Studies in Mathematics, Vol. 115 (3), 2024)
"In The International Commission on Mathematical Instruction, 1908-2008: people, events and challenges in Mathematics education, Fulvia Furinghetti and Livia Giacardi lead a voluminous and highly documented history of ICMI (International Commission on Mathematical Instruction), the first large-scale international organization to bring together questions and actors in mathematical education. ... My genuine enthusiasm for this book, which is both precise, extensively documented, and synthetic ... ." (Thomas Preveraud, Historia Mathematica, March 16, 2024)
"The book is a testament to the thousands of hours invested by the editors to record and share the history of ICMI with anyone who has an interest in mathematics education. Its focus on primary sources and data nicely complements the varied perspectives found in The First Century. Thus, it is worth acquiring by any college or university library with a mathematics education program and by historians of mathematics education." (Amy Ackerberg-Hastings, MAA Reviews, July 15, 2023)