Making mathematics visible and tangible in home economics education: Insights from food preparation lessons

Source abstract

Combining abstract mathematics with pragmatic home economics (HE) can improve teachers’ and students’ mathematical competence. Mathematical skills are integral to HE education, yet they often remain implicit rather than being explicitly recognised. This study examined how mathematical perspectives emerge in food preparation lessons in HE teacher education through the analysis of learning materials and the researcher’s reflective diaries. Using autoethnographic and design-based research approaches, the study explored ways of making mathematics more visible and tangible in HE education. The data were analysed through theory-guided content analysis, using the mathematical concepts identified in the theoretical framework as analytical lenses: numeracy, arithmetic, measurement, geometry, problem solving, and systems thinking. As an outcome of the study, a pedagogical pathway was developed to support more explicit integration of mathematics in HE teaching and learning. Teachers play an important role in making mathematical thinking explicit by guiding, modelling, and demonstrating it, enabling students to see mathematics as an integral component of learning rather than as a separate subject. In addition to developing student teachers’ mathematical thinking, they also need opportunities to practice teaching mathematics within the context of HE education.