When it comes to students' motivation, the school's motive of producing students who will qualify to go to university is most vital.
Andualem Tamiru Gebremichael
PhD-candidate
Andualem Tamiru Gebremichael at the University of Agders Faculty for Engineering and Science has submitted his thesis entitled «Students’ perceptions of the relevance of mathematics in an Ethiopian preparatory school» and will defend the thesis for the PhD-degree 1 March 2019.
He has followed the PhD-programme at the Faculty for Engineering and Science, with specialisation in Mathematics Education.
Gebremichael explored perceptions of mathematics’ relevance from the perspective of cultural-historical activity theory. The research shows that students perceive its relevance to their future in different ways:
Students also perceive the relevance of mathematics to the other school subjects in different ways.
The students’ perceptions of relevance to everyday life have three aspects:
Participation in school, family, game, church and mosque, etc. and the motives of these activities shape students' perceptions. Other subjects and out-of-school activities are vital in shaping perceptions about usefulness (in future studies, other subjects and everyday life). However, when it comes to students' motivation, the school's motive of producing students who will qualify to go to university is most vital.
The Candidate: Andualem Tamiru Gebremichael (Bale Goba, Etiopia, 1970): BSc, MSc, MA from Addis Ababa University, PhD research fellow at the UiA.
The trial lecture and the public defense will take place at Gabriel Scotts auditorium – B1-001, Campus Kristiansand Friday 1 March 2019. Find the Auditorium:
Head of the Department of Mathematical Scioences, Associate Professor Ingvald Erfjord, will chair the disputation.
Trial lecture at 10:30 a.m.
Public defense at 12:30 p.m.
Given topic for trial lecture: “Socio-cultural perspectives on beliefs research: problems, methodologies and generalisations”
Thesis title: «Students’ perceptions of the relevance of mathematics in an Ethiopian preparatory school»
Search for the thesis in AURA - Agder University Research Archive, a digital archive of scientific papers, theses and dissertations from the academic staff and students at the University of Agder. The thesis will also be available at the University Library, and some copies will also be available for loan at the auditorium where the dissertation takes place.
First opponent: Professor Stephen Lerman, London South Bank University, UK
Second opponent: Professor Jeppe Skott, Linnéuniversitetet, Sverige
Professor Emerita Barbro Grevholm, University of Agder is appointed as the administrator for the assessment commitee.
Supervisors were Professor Simon Goodchild, UiA (main supervisor) and Professor Olav Dovland, UiA (supervisor)