Chapter 5: Conceptual Understanding Versus Computational Skill: How Cognitive Science Helps Resolve the Great Debate of Mathematics Education

This chapter explores the relation between cognitive science and mathematics education in historical context. The chapter starts by describing the ongoing debate on how and what to teach in mathematics classrooms—that is, whether to take a basic skills approach or a conceptual understanding approach. Then, the chapter briefly reviews the historical roots of the debate, three approaches to defining the objectives of mathematics education, three views of learning in mathematics education, four enduring contributions of cognitive science to mathematics education, and how the merger of cognitive science and mathematics education helps resolve the debate.