Community of Inquiry in Mathematics for Higher Education

Abstract

Introduction: Currently, we are completing an experiment in Philosophy for children in which students in elementary schools use philosophy to think and talk about mathematics. Reflections on this experiment have led us to wonder if the fields of teaching philosophy and mathematics at the college level could benefit from the results of this experiment. If so, which components could be transferred to teaching and learning practices in higher education? In this article, we will try to answer other questions relating to our experiment: Which philosophico-mathematical concepts could be more fully examined in the context of higher education? What could students gain from philosophical communities of inquiry in their mathematical learning experiences? What would be the predictable reactions of teachers? What would the students' reactions be? How could we integrate communities of inquiry into teaching mathematics at the college level?