Transpositions of Function Concept in Mathematics Curricula and Textbooks from the Historical Development Perspective

Abstract

In the historical process, scientific knowledge is constantly changing and developing. Concepts in curricula and textbooks are also affected by these changes and developments. The function concept is a typical example of this situation. The concept of function gained different meanings in different historical contexts although no clear information was found about the evolution of the concept in curricula and textbooks in Turkey. The purpose of this study is to examine the transposition of function concept in secondary school mathematics curricula and textbooks in Turkey from the perspective of the historical development of the concept from the declaration of the Republic of Turkey until today. In the study, document analysis, which is a qualitative research method, was used. Secondary school mathematics curricula and textbooks, which were entered into force in Turkey from 1924 until 2017, were examined. The findings of the study show that the function concept in mathematics curricula passed through three basic periods: the Eulerian period (1924-1952), the Dirichletian period (1952-1974) and the Bouthakist period (1974-2017).