UM atUM [S05-ep01]: Teaching Mathematics: The Challenge of Meaning
It's back-to-school time for "AUM la science" with Aurélie Chesnais from the Lirdef , who talks to us about mathematics education. The report introduces you to the chemistry kits from theIres with Jean-Yves Winum and Sébastien Filhol, chemistry professors at the Faculty of Sciences. A program broadcast every Wednesday on the radio station Divergence.
OnUM ,” we’re kicking off our fifth season live from the laboratories of the University of Montpellier and its partners. And for the start of the new school year, what could be more fitting than talking about education—and what could be more fitting than math? So our topic today is the pedagogy of mathematics. I can already sense that I’ve lost some of you—but rest assured: stick with us, and like me, you might come to better understand why you never quite got past quadratic equations.
In fact, if math is synonymous with failure for you, know that you’re not alone. According to the latest Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), published in December 2024, French students bring up the rear in math. France ranks last in the European Union amongfourth-grade students and second-to-last amongeighth-grade students. These poor overall results are compounded by significant disparities among students based on their socioeconomic backgrounds and gender, as we discussed with researcher Madalena Croitoru in a previous episode (UM atUM : Child-Robot Interaction to Challenge Gender Stereotypes in Math, March 6, 2025).
This is not a new problem. As early as 2018, the Minister of National Education, Blanquer, tasked the renowned mathematician and member of parliament Cédric Villani with assessing the strengths and weaknesses of mathematics education in France—a mission that was supposed to result in a 21-point plan, which has clearly not borne fruit.
Perhaps he should have turned to our guest. Aurélie Chesnais is an educational researcher at Lirdef, the Interdisciplinary Research Laboratory in Didactics, Education, and Training. She has just co-published, with Aline Robert, a researcher at the André Revuz Laboratory of Didactics in Paris, an article titled “A Didactic Perspective on the Professional Development of Secondary School Mathematics Teachers.” Her approach can be summed up in four words: the pursuit of meaning!
In the second part, *AUM takes us back to the university hallways, and we set up our microphones behind the door to the chemistry lab. We’re staying on topic, since Jean-Yves Winum and Sébastien Filhol are both chemistry professors and members of the physical chemistry group at IRES, the research institute for science education. They show us the chemistry kits developed by IRES.
AtUM , you’ve got the schedule—let’s get started!
Co-production: Divergence FM / University of Montpellier
Host: Lucie Lecherbonnier
Interview: Lucie Lecherbonnier / Aline Périault
Director: Alice Rollet
Check out theUM podcasts,UM available on your favorite platform (Spotify, Deezer, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, etc.).