International Commission on Mathematical Instructions (ICMI)
Devoted to the development of mathematics education at all levels, the International Commission on Mathematical Instruction (ICMI) is an international non-governmental and non-profit scientific organization whose purpose is to promote international cooperation in mathematics education. The scope of the Commission's work quickly expanded beyond just secondary schools to include the teaching of mathematics at all types of schools, including primary and vocational, as well as universities.
The ICMI, or its predecessor known as the International Commission on the Teaching of Mathematics, was established in 1908 during the International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM) held in Rome. The proposal for its creation was initiated by David Eugene Smith from New York. The Rome Congress accepted a resolution charging Professors F. Klein, G. Greenhill, and Henri Fehr to constitute an International Commission to study these questions and report to the next Congress. This three-person group named itself the "Central Committee," with Felix Klein as President, G. Greenhill as Vice President, and Henri Fehr as Secretary General. Thus, Felix Klein was the first president of ICMI (1908-1920).
The acronym ICMI became popular later, and the name "International Commission on Mathematical Instruction" was officially adopted by the IMU General Assembly in 1952. Following interruptions in activity as a result of the First and Second World Wars, ICMI was reconstituted in 1952 and became an official commission of the International Mathematical Union (IMU).
ICMI has considerably expanded its objectives, activities, and international reach in the years since, with increasing commitment to educational capacity building in developing countries and broadening the participation and inclusiveness in ICMI activities of mathematics educators from diverse cultural contexts.
A major responsibility of ICMI is to plan for the quadrennial International Congress on Mathematical Education (ICME). ICME is the largest international conference on mathematics education. ICMEs are the meeting point for mathematics educators, curriculum developers, mathematicians, researchers in mathematics education, teachers, teacher educators and resource producers.
ICMI was established to support better education of mathematics at all levels and to secure public appreciation of its importance. This means that the mathematicians who met in Rome in 1908 were of the opinion that the development of mathematics depends on the development of mathematics education. The work of ICMI was oriented intensively towards the emphasis of understanding of mathematics instead of the mechanical skills.
Aims and Objectives of ICMI
The main goal of ICMI is to develop the international co-operation in the field of mathematics instruction. The specified aims and objectives of ICMI are as follows:
- Develop mathematics practitioners, curriculum designers, decision-makers and others interested in mathematics education.
- Provide opportunities for exchanging information on mathematics education, promoting published materials and forums.
- Exchange and disseminate ideas and information on all aspects of the theory and practice of contemporary mathematics education as seen from international perspectives.
- Provide the overall goals of teaching of mathematics education for any given level is to provide teachers with appropriate knowledge, skills and attitudes for teaching mathematics, at that level under the changing curricula and conditions.
- Apply a new trend in mathematics teaching for the development of science and technology.
- Enable students to think logically and develop the process of understanding of mathematical concepts.
- Encourage applying new trends in mathematics teaching.
- Give emphasis on research in learning and teaching mathematics education.
- Discuss problems of mathematics teaching and find solutions in international conferences by sharing experiences.
- Create a suitable environment to develop knowledge, skill and attitude in teachers to make their teaching activities meaningful.
- Develop an integrated curriculum on mathematics for developing countries.
- Encourage the mathematical institutions which produce Journals and Forums.
Activities and Responsibilities of ICMI
The ICMI’s primary responsibilities are to plan for the ICME congress which entails selecting one among host countries and offering opportunities to appoint an International Program Committee (IPC). The financial organization of ICME has the independent responsibilities of a national organization committee. The following are the responsibilities of ICMI:
- Organize the ICME every four years.
- Organize the Regional Conference.
- Organize the National Conference.
- Give opportunities for mathematicians to present their papers.
- Make an environment to discuss the problems arising from the New mathematics movement in the conferences.
- Supervise the works done by the Study Groups affiliated with ICME.
- The Psychology of Learning Mathematics
- Research in the Teaching of Mathematics
- Calculus and Analysis at School Level
- Teaching of Probability and Statistics at School Level
- Individual Learning Methods
Recent Activities of ICMI
Over recent years, ICMI has been sponsoring, jointly with Unesco and other bodies, the development of a mathematical exhibition. The exhibition "why mathematics" was changed into the slogan "Experiencing Mathematics," whose aim is to improve the image of mathematics among the general public. This exhibition resulted from the work of colleagues in France and Japan, and ICMI supported it substantially.
Following a recommendation of the Ad Hoc subcommittee on “Supporting Mathematics in Developing countries” appointed in 2003, the IMU Executive Committee established in early 2004 the Developing Countries Strategy Group (DCSG) with the charge of increasing, guiding, and coordinating IMU’s activities in support of mathematics and mathematics education in the developing world. ICMI is represented in the DCSG by Vice-president Michele Artigue. The first meeting of the DCSG was held at the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Italy, on 16-17 October 2004. Among the actions considered by the DCSG is the creation of a web-based Clearinghouse for African Mathematics, which will be housed at ICTP. ICMI offered to contribute to this project by collecting information about activities linked to mathematics education in Africa, in particular as regards existing associations, projects, master and doctorate programs in education, and mathematics competitions.
ICMI has co-sponsored an International Seminar on Policy and Practice in Mathematics Education organized since 2001 in Utah, USA, in the context of the annual Park City Mathematics Institutes (PCMI) hosted by the Institutes for Advanced Study (Princeton, USA). This program has engaged each year mathematics educators from a diverse set of countries in a stimulating five-day discussion about common issues and concerns in the teaching and learning of mathematics, with a particular focus on teacher preparation and development. The 2004 session took place during ICME X, where participants from the first three years shared with the large mathematics education community the outcome of the first seminars and considered with this larger group how to continue the dialogue at future Institutes.
The World Bank also expressed interest in the ICMI networking capacity with the leadership in mathematics education around the world, as it is connected to scientific societies and individuals in academic institutions and is thus complementary to the links that the Bank has with governments and ministers of education.
In a similar vein, ICMI has been invited by the Director of Education at OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) to participate in a Forum on education and social cohesion organized by OECD on the occasion of a meeting of Education Ministers held in Dublin on March 18-19, 2004. This meeting, where ICMI was represented by the Secretary General, was a first opportunity for a direct link of ICMI with the OECD Directorate for Education.
The current ICMI affiliated Study Groups are HPM (History and Pedagogy of Mathematics, 1976), PME (Psychology of Mathematics Education, 1976), IOWME (International Organization of Women and Mathematics Education, 1987), WFNMC (World Federation of National Mathematics Competitions, 1994), and ICTMA (International Study Group for Mathematical Modeling and Application, 2003). The IICTMA 13 International Conference on the Teaching of Mathematical Modeling and Applications was held in Nepal on 23-27 July 2007 at Dhulikhel, Kathmandu University. ICTMA is held biannually with the support of ICMI.
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