Proceedings ALM29
The Adults Learning Mathematics – 29th conference was hosted by the University of Barcelona, Spain.
The conference was held from 10th – 13th July 2022 with the title of Numeracy and Social Impact.
The keynotes addressed a broad spectrum of themes related to the theme of the conference. We managed to confirm a series of excellent speakers.
The keynote lectures can be watched at our YouTube Channel. You can also click on the titles of the keynotes.
- Ramon Flecha – Numeracy and Social Impact
- Pedro Plaza – Everyday Life in an ALM Classroom
- Eduardo Sáenz de Cabezón – The Majority Illusion
- Marta Civil – Practices for Adults within a Funds of Knowledge Framework
- Beth Kelly – ALM29 and Social Impact
You can still download the program here: Program revised 07 07 2022
ALM29 Conference: Numeracy and Social Impact
Numeracy is gaining momentum and influence in our societies. The pandemic has shown how important numeracy is in our lives. Being able to read numerical information to weigh the risks to our daily activities has been a challenge not only for the authorities, who have had to decide whether to carry out more or less restrictive lockdown measures, but also in our day-to-day lives, where many people have made decisions after assessing the risks (probabilities) of being infected by the disease according to the information available at the time. It is a dramatic example with long term effects, which we hope will not be repeated.
However, it is also a clear example of the importance that numeracy plays in our lives. The latest research is increasingly focused on social impact. The idea being that research (at least research funded with public money) must serve to improve people’s lives. In the field of adults learning mathematics, we have many challenges for the future. Much more research linked to social impact is needed to advance our knowledge about how adults learn mathematics, what aspects are relevant, in what contexts, and what topics.
There is already a long tradition of research into numeracy and thanks to this research we see that the concept of numeracy as a living concept, which must be continually updated to respond to the challenges of our societies.
In this 29th edition of the ALM annual conference, we welcomed papers from a range of topics, including those aimed at:
- Defining numeracy now and for the future
- The social impact of numeracy practices in different contexts (i.e., workplace, formal, non-formal and informal education, everyday practices, etc.)
- Successful educational practices in the field of ALM
- Communication and ongoing discussions with education authorities and policy makers, as part of a dialogue to further develop ALM
- Numeracy and critical thinking
About the Keynote speakers
Prof. Ramon Flecha
He is Full Professor of Sociology at the University of Barcelona and Doctor Honoris causa from the Vest Timisoara University. Number 1 in the world in the Google Scholar ranking in two research areas: Social Impact and Gender Violence. The FP6 INCLUD-ED project, which he directed, has been the only one in Social Sciences and Humanities selected by the European Commission in its list of 10 successful scientific researches. Hired by the European Commission as Chair of the Group of Experts that has defined the criteria for the political and societal impact of all sciences in Horizon Europe. Advisor on policies and social impact of research in various sciences. He has published in scientific journals such as Nature, Harvard Educational Review or Violence Against Women, obtaining the award for the best article of the year 2013 in the Cambridge Journal of Education.
Prof. Paola Valero
Paola Valero is Full Professor of Mathematics Education at the Department of Teaching and Learning, Stockholm University, Sweden. Her research explores the significance of mathematics education as a field where power relations are actualized in producing subjectivities and generating inclusion/exclusion of different types of students. She leads the Swedish Research Council funded national Graduate school “Relevancing mathematics and Science Education (RelMaS)”. This doctoral program has doctoral students in mathematics and science education, whose projects explore ways of generating more relevant and equitable education in the face of the many current crises of political, social, economic and environmental sustainability.
Prof. Pedro Plaza.
He is Bachelor of Mathematics from the Complutense University of Madrid. Doctor in Educational Sciences from the Complutense University of Madrid, with the PhD thesis “Mathematics in Adult Education”. Postgraduate in Quantitative Research Methodology: Statistical Techniques, he has been Professor of the ETS of Aeronautical and Space Engineering of the Polytechnic University of Madrid until 2019. He is a volunteer teacher at the Porto Popular School in Carabanchel (Madrid). Author of the book: “Critical and transformative mathematics in adult education”. He has been author for many articles, presentations and conferences on Everyday Mathematics, Mathematical competences in adults, the Euro, PIAAC, Curricular materials, Ethnomathematics, among others.
Prof. Eduardo Sáenz de Cabezón
Title of the talk: The mirage of the majority
He is Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Computing at the University of La Rioja (Spain). He develops his research in the area of computer algebra and its applications, to which he regularly contributes with publications in scientific journals and conferences.
He carries out an intense work of communication of science and mathematics in different media and through talks, conferences and shows. He is a founding member of the scientific dissemination group BigVanCiencia, author of the YouTube channel “Derivando” dedicated to the dissemination of mathematics (more than one million three hundred thousand subscribers) and presenter of the RTVE program “Órbita Laika”. He is the author of the books ” Inteligencia Matemática”, “El árbol de Emmy” and “Apocalipsis Matemático”. He has received various awards and recognitions for his teaching, research and dissemination work.
Prof. Marta Civil
Title of the talk: Mathematics teaching and learning practices for adults within a funds of knowledge framework
Marta Civil is a Professor and the Roy F. Graesser Chair in the Department of Mathematics at The University of Arizona. Her research looks at cultural, social, and language aspects in the teaching and learning of mathematics; participation in the mathematics classroom; connections between in-school and out-of-school mathematics; and parental engagement in mathematics.She has led multiple funded projects working with children, parents, and teachers, primarily in Mexican American communities. Her work is grounded on the concepts of funds of knowledge and parents as intellectual resources, with a focus on developing culturally sustaining learning environments in mathematics education.
Programme Committee
- Javier Díez-Palomar, UB, Spain – Chair
- Beth Kelly, UCL, United Kingdom
- Kees Hoogland, HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Lisanne Heilmann, HSU, Germany
Local Organising Committee (Barcelona)
- Javier Díez-Palomar, UB – Chair
- Adriana Breda, UB
- Albert Mallart, UB
- Alicia Sánchez, UB
- Àngel Alsina, UdG
- Diana Hidalgo, UB
- Elvira Garcia-Mora, UB
- Gemma Sala, UB
- Juan Pablo Vargas, UB
- Maria Padrós, UB
- Muntasir Taamneh, UB
- Nathalia Valderrama, UB
- Rosa Valls, UB
- Telesforo Sol, UB
- Vicenç Font, UB
- Vivianne Hummes, UB
- Yuly Vanegas, UdLL
ALM29 was organised in collaboration between
- ALM Adults Learning Mathematics
- University of Barcelona: Department of Linguistic and Literary Education, and Teaching and Learning of Experimental Sciences and Mathematics
- CESIRE – Centre de Recursos Pedagògics Específics de Suport a la Innovació i la Recerca Educativa
Departament d’Educació | Generalitat de Catalunya - Societat Catalana de Matemàtiques – Filial de l’Institut d’Estudis Catalans
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