About “Tomas Bergqvist”

Associate Professor in pedagogical work. Research area: Mathematics education, focusing on mathematical reasoning and the relationship between language and mathematics.
I work at the departmen of
and conduct my research within
. 
My research is conducted within two research groups:
and
.
The research within the LICR group addresses the well-known problem of inefficient rote learning by imitating solution strategies and algorithms. Our results show that students who construct their own strategies learn the mathematics more efficiently. My research deals with understanding what really happens in these learning situations. What are students who have practiced by imitating doing? Why are students who have practiced by constructing solutions better at remembering the central formula, despite the fact that it was not given to them?
Argumentation is central to mathematics, where proof is the most pronounced form of argument. What types of argumentation can be found in mathematics education in primary and secondary school? Studies on textbooks show a limited presence of argumentation, especially in lower school years. What does it look like in teachers’ oral presentations? Do teachers explain and motivate why a mathematical statement is true? What types of arguments are used and in what ways?
My teaching is mostly on courses in mathematics education for teachers on secondary level. I also work with supervision and examination of degree projects for teacher education.