Abstract:
We examine the problems of integrating issues of sustainability
within the mainstream curriculum of university mathematics, taking our cue
from the discussion at the Johannesburg Earth Summit. Our approach to the
problem is to synthesise various strands of our research programme, combining
information about lecturers' conceptions of sustainability in the curriculum,
children's notions about environment, and students' ideas about the nature of
mathematics. We suggest ways in which university mathematics teachers can
provide a quality learning experience for their students that includes notions
of sustainability within the mathematical context, without compromising the
mathematical content of their courses.
