Florence Mihaela Singer | University of Ploiesti (original) (raw)

Books by Florence Mihaela Singer

This international review offers current findings on the art and science of problem posing and it... more This international review offers current findings on the art and science of problem posing and its multiple contributions to mathematics teaching, learning, training, and curriculum
design. Diverse perspectives on problem posing frame the concept as a springboard for scientific inquiry and the process as a means to promote mathematical understanding across the primary and secondary grades. Problem posing is demonstrated as enhancing students' problem-solving skills, bolstering knowledge retention, and improving attitudes toward mathematics, and the book provides evidence-based strategies for its integration into both classroom work and teacher education. This information is particularly critical as
mathematics-based knowledge continues to dominate technology and the sciences.

Papers by Florence Mihaela Singer

Ghiduri metodologice pentru aplicarea programelor şcolare, 2001

Începând cu anul 1998-1999, în România a fost implementat primul curriculum național elaborat în ... more Începând cu anul 1998-1999, în România a fost implementat primul curriculum național elaborat în perioada post-comunistă. Lucrarea prezintă reperele conceptuale și metodologice care au ghidat aplicarea noului curriculum național la nivelul învățământului liceal, începând din anul școlar 2001-2002. Aceste repere au stat la baza organizării procesului instructiv-educativ pentru o perioadă relativ scurtă de timp, dar continuă să aibă reverberații și astăzi, deși mai degrabă la nivel teoretic.

Cuprins
1. Noul tip de liceu: o poartă deschisă spre societatea de mâine?
2. Structura organizatorică a liceului: este posibilă excelenţa în diversitate?
3. Ciclurile curriculare: o altă formă de organizare?
4. Planurile-cadru: o nouă filosofie a timpului şcolar?
5. Programa şcolară: reper obligatoriu pentru un demers flexibil?
6. Aplicarea programelor şcolare: o altă didactică?
7. Manualele alternative: o soluţie pentru diversificarea demersului didactic?
8. Curriculum la decizia şcolii: puterea şcolii?

RPSS, 2016

This article is focused on the issue of valuing the teaching profession in Romania as socioeconom... more This article is focused on the issue of valuing the teaching profession in Romania as socioeconomically relevant, which requires specialized career through the master of teaching degree. Such a program is generically described and two conditions necessary to ensure its quality are highlighted: on the one hand, a domain-specific training coupled with a thorough knowledge of domain-specific didactics and, on the other hand, a teaching practice and learning approaches oriented towards educational research.

Zdm – Mathematics Education, Dec 1, 2001

Dominating information by formation seems to be the only realistic solution to overcome the crisi... more Dominating information by formation seems to be the only realistic solution to overcome the crisis generated by the higher and higher accumulation of information in each domain. The paper is proposing a model of building structured knowledge able to generate in the child's mind strategies for efficient processing of information. Kurzreferat: Die Information durch Bildung zu beherrschen scheint die einzige realistische Lösung zu sein, die Krise zu überwinden, die durch Anhäufung von mehr und mehr Informationen enstanden ist. Das Referat präsentiert ein Bildungsmodell von strukturierten Kenntnissen, das im Gedächtnis des Kindes eine effiziente Bearbeitung von Information ermöglicht.

Teaching and Teacher Education, Aug 1, 2008

This study attempts to analyze and synthesize the knowledge collected in the area of conceptual m... more This study attempts to analyze and synthesize the knowledge collected in the area of conceptual models used in teaching and learning during inquiry-based projects, and to propose a new frame for organizing the classroom interactions within a constructivist approach. The IMSTRA model consists in three general phases: Immersion, Structuring, Applying, each with two sub-phases that highlight specific roles for the teacher and the students. Two case studies, one for mathematics in grade 9 and another for science in grade 3, show how the model can be implemented in school, making inquiry realistic in regular classes. Beyond its initial purpose, the IMSTRA model proved to be a powerful tool in curriculum development, being used in producing mathematics textbooks, as well as in developing teaching courses for a long-distance teachertraining program.

Applications and Modelling in Mathematics Education, Dec 6, 2007

Do we need models in explaining the outer world and the self? What types of models might be helpf... more Do we need models in explaining the outer world and the self? What types of models might be helpful in school to explain both complexity and abstraction? What level of representation is appropriate? What dimensions of training should be focused on in constructing inquiry-based learning? How could these dimensions be reflected in developing students’ competencies? Analysing the dual relationship between complexity and abstraction, the study proposes some strategies to enhance learning in a model-building environment.

RPSS, 2013

A brief overview emphasizes the low level of educational research in Romania, based on concrete d... more A brief overview emphasizes the low level of educational research in Romania, based on concrete data. The paper analyses the causes and the consequences of this situation, in both pre-university and university contexts. The study converges on the importance of building a professional development track in education that provides master and doctoral degrees in the teaching of a specified school subject, facilitating cutting-edge research in education.

Frontiers in Neuroscience, 2010

The article highlights one of the methods of measuring cognitive interest of the secondary school... more The article highlights one of the methods of measuring cognitive interest of the secondary schoolchildren in learning Mathematics and the results of its practical application. As a result of questioning pupils, there have been differentiated the factors influencing the interest in learning Mathematics. They are: understanding the course material, the complexity of the course material, the duration of mastering the uniform course material, the amount of the course material. It has been found out that the interest tends to spread from a teacher to a student, or from a student who displays a genuine interest to other students.

ICME-13 monographs, 2018

The links between research in mathematics education, psychology of creativity and research in gif... more The links between research in mathematics education, psychology of creativity and research in gifted education started to gain more attention in the last decade, from researchers and the large public as well. The paper is intended to provide a concise survey of these links, with a focus on: frameworks for studying students’ creativity and giftedness in mathematics; domain specificity of creativity; some characteristics of mathematical creativity resulting from its specificity; relationships between mathematical giftedness and creativity from a mind-and-brain perspective; relationships between creativity, giftedness and social inclusion; underlying connections between mathematical creativity and innovation, creativity and metacognition, creativity, giftedness and expertise; and the teaching of mathematically-promising students with a focus on structuring their mathematical competencies. The paper offers also brief reviews of the chapters included in the book, stressing on the benefits of an integrated approach of creativity and giftedness in mathematics education.

New Ideas in Psychology, Apr 1, 2009

A mechanism underlying the computational properties of the cognitive architecture is construed ba... more A mechanism underlying the computational properties of the cognitive architecture is construed based on a minimal list of operational clusters. This general processing mechanism constitutes the dynamic infrastructure of mind (DIM). DIM consists in categories of mental operations ...

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2011

Masterprof is a master program that was designed within and for a comprehensive partnership among... more Masterprof is a master program that was designed within and for a comprehensive partnership among faculty, graduate students and school teachers in order to give a consistent response to the social need for better educated teachers. This challenging aim requires top innovation at various levels of intervention. Therefore, Masterprof benefits from a flexible competence-based curriculum that is implemented via an interactive approach within a blended learning system. The new methodology is sustained by meaningful assessment tasks and multiple research partnerships. Our paper briefs on the philosophy of this didactic master program and the results of a two year implementation. .

Springer eBooks, Aug 27, 2007

This chapter reports on the mechanisms activated by the reform of education at the confluence of... more This chapter reports on the mechanisms activated by the reform of education at the
confluence of economic, political and sociocultural factors in a system in transition to
democracy and a functional market economy. The paper analyses the fluctuating balance between ideological and professional positions in the decision-making process based on a case study of curriculum reform in Romania, which has been developed within the Education Reform Project co-financed by the Romanian government and the World Bank. The tensions among customs, traditions, mentalities, the will to integrate, and the desire to keep a cultural specificity in a global world, are not yet resolved. Such tensions bring new issues into the contemporary debates regarding globalisation and the new polarization of power. In this context, the reform in mathematics and science education is approached from the perspective of the relationship between knowledge and power during the industrial époque in Eastern Europe, stressing some of its implications for the post-industrial era and sketching some future developments in the framework of the
knowledge society.

We explore behaviors of high achievers 10 to 16 years old during a problem modification process b... more We explore behaviors of high achievers 10 to 16 years old during a problem modification process by looking at the ways students vary the constraints of a given problem. We found that these children swing between low amplitude driven creativity and failure to pose mathematically consistent problems when it comes about understanding the deep structure of mathematical concepts and strategies.

the material is concerned, specifi cally the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustra... more the material is concerned, specifi cally the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfi lms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specifi c statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use.

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), Feb 4, 2015

This paper is focused on recent research in neuroscience and developmental psychology regarding m... more This paper is focused on recent research in neuroscience and developmental psychology regarding mathematical abilities of infants. A model that tries to explain these findings underlies the mental operations that could be systematically trained to generate efficient learning. The model is built on a cognitive constructivist perspective, is transferable into teaching-learning materials and its development has direct implications in structuring the curriculum and reorienting the teaching practice. HOW MUCH IS THE NEWBORN BRAIN SHAPED FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT? In the early childhood, through the comprehensive learning of maternal language, the child is crossing an extremely dense period of mental accumulation. Synthetically described, this is a recursive categorical learning; the child acquires category knowledge through a few-steps-inductive process and he/she is able to retrieve prototypes or simple exemplars on a similarity-based analysis. For example, the young child is able to iden...

Ghiduri metodologice pentru aplicarea programelor şcolare, 2001

RPSS, 2016

Zdm – Mathematics Education, Dec 1, 2001

Teaching and Teacher Education, Aug 1, 2008

Applications and Modelling in Mathematics Education, Dec 6, 2007

RPSS, 2013

Frontiers in Neuroscience, 2010

ICME-13 monographs, 2018

New Ideas in Psychology, Apr 1, 2009

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2011

Springer eBooks, Aug 27, 2007

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), Feb 4, 2015

Educational Studies in Mathematics, 2020

Affects are intuitively accepted as having a role in the key stages that determine success in pro... more Affects are intuitively accepted as having a role in the key stages that determine success in problem-solving (PS) and problem-posing (PP). Two disjoint groups of prospective mathematics teachers with similar background and competences have been exposed to PS and PP activities, respectively, and they had to describe their affective states during these activities. The students' reports have been analyzed from the perspective of epistemic affects, motivation, and self-efficacy. While in the PS context, several students expressed reluctance to report emotional feelings or frustrations over failing to find a solution for the given problems, in the PP context, a phenomenon of adaptation to one's own cognitive possibilities appeared and the posed problems created a state of comfort/ enjoyment in students. PP conveyed a sense of autonomy and control to a greater extent than PS. It seems that intrinsic motivation is influenced by factors that are different in PP vs PS tasks, with an effect on perceived self-efficacy. The PP activity instilled a robust sense of coping efficacy, which made the students perceive their work as successful, to a large extent. In PS, the initially perceived self-efficacy triggered motivation to persevere with the solving, while in PP, the initial motivation generated by a novel task evolved into students' perceptions of self-efficacy and confidence in one's own capabilities. The conclusions of this study can help prospective teachers to use emotions in teaching for understanding, anticipating, and dealing with students' ideas about mathematics and mathematical thinking and, finally, for improving students' self-esteem and self-confidence, with an effect in more successful results.

Advances in Mathematics Education, 2016

The paper analyzes the results of activities undertaken by Mathematics students enrolled in a pre... more The paper analyzes the results of activities undertaken by Mathematics students enrolled in a pre-service teacher-training program. Students were given the task to describe the way of building a figure from which one could get a box, to identify the geometric properties that allow producing the box, and to propose new models from which new boxes can be obtained. For creativity analysis, a cognitive flexibility framework has been used, within which students’ cognitive variety, cognitive novelty, and their capacity to make changes in cognitive framing are analyzed. The analysis of some specific cases led to the conclusion that creativity manifestation is conditioned by a certain level of expertise. In the process of building a solution for a nonstandard problem, expertise and creativity support and mutually develop each other, enabling bridges to the unknown. This interaction leads also to an increase in expertise. Moreover, in order to get individual relevant data, the identification of creativity should take place based on tasks situated in the proximal range of the person’s expertise but exceeding his/her actual level of expertise at a time.

Toute correspondance relative à cette publication ainsi que toute demande de reproduction ou de t... more Toute correspondance relative à cette publication ainsi que toute demande de reproduction ou de traduction totale ou partielle du document doivent être adressées au Directeur de l'éducation scolaire, extrascolaire et de l'enseignement supérieur du Conseil de l'Europe (F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex).

Ghiduri metodologice pentru aplicarea programelor şcolare, Bucureşti: Editura Aramis, pp. 6-22, ISBN: 973-8294-24-X., 2001

Rezumat Începând cu anul 1998-1999, în România a fost implementat primul curriculum național elab... more Rezumat
Începând cu anul 1998-1999, în România a fost implementat primul curriculum național elaborat în perioada post-comunistă. Lucrarea prezintă reperele conceptuale și metodologice care au ghidat aplicarea noului curriculum național la nivelul învățământului primar și gimnazial, începând din anul școlar 2001-2002. Aceste repere au stat la baza organizării procesului instructiv-educativ pentru o perioadă relativ scurtă de timp. Ele însă reprezintă un document cu relevanță cel puțin istorică.

Ghiduri metodologice pentru aplicarea programelor şcolare, 2001

Rezumat Începând cu anul 1998-1999, în România a fost implementat primul curriculum național elab... more Rezumat
Începând cu anul 1998-1999, în România a fost implementat primul curriculum național elaborat în perioada post-comunistă. Lucrarea descrie modalitatea de proiectare a demersului didactic astfel încât activitatea la clasă a profesorului să conducă la rezultate consonante cu filosofia unui curriculum centrat pe elev. Terminologia introdusă se păstrează și astăzi, modelul de proiectare fiind însă aplicat adesea într-o manieră formală, fără rezultate reale în practica la clasă.