Idealistic Mathematics Education: The Institute for the Development of Mathematics Education (IOWO) and Dutch Education Reform, 1970–1980

Abstract

In the 1960s and 1970s Cold War context, education in Western countries was reformed aiming to educate democratic citizens. This paper shows that 1970s mathematics education reform in the Netherlands was driven by three ideals: democratisation, holism and science with society. The lack of national policy governing curriculum development in the early 1970s allowed the Institute for the Development of Mathematics Education (IOWO) to work according to these ideals, establishing it firmly in a national and international network. When Dutch government did implement centralised policies and reformed the education support system, it left no room for IOWO. However, IOWO’s position and influence was leveraged so that part of its staff was allowed to continue as a research group. The new policy context did affect their ability continue their idealistic practices. Nevertheless, the research group, eventually renamed Freudenthal Institute, continued to have a lasting influence in Dutch and international mathematics education.