In this follow-up appearance on the Talking Maths in Public podcast, I catch up with fellow maths history enthusiast Peter Rowlett to tackle a persistent challenge in secondary education: the artificial silos that segregate mathematics from history, art, and local culture. We dive into a fascinating discussion about the “disconnect” between schools and heritage sites: while maths teachers often report that they cannot find local, historically rich trips or guest speakers, museum educators simultaneously admit they stop offering mathematical programming because they assume teachers aren’t interested.
Drawing from my own experience in the classroom – including a memorable anecdote about a student’s textiles homework – I share the practical realities of bridging this gap. We discuss the outcomes of an open-access classroom study I co-authored in the British Journal for the History of Mathematics, which suggested that weaving historical narratives directly into the standard curriculum measurably improved attitudes for participating students. By humanising the discipline and highlighting its global roots, we explore how educators can move past the standard “17th-century European male” perspective to show a diverse student body their own cultural heritage reflected in the maths they do every day.
The episode also included Ella Wild updating on the City of Maths project in Leeds (which I’m also involved with), and Sams Holloway and Hartburn and Daniele Aurelio talking about their respective local monthly MathsJams.
How to listen:
You can hear the full conversation in the player below, via the Talking Maths in Public Website or search for Talking Maths in Public in your podcast player of choice.
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