Prof. Schorcht's focal areas of research
Within mathematics didactics research, Prof. Schorcht pursues a variety of topics. On the one hand, he is interested in the historical dimension of mathematics. This angle shows that mathematics is not a “rigid” science that solely consists of rules and their applications. On the contrary, it thrives on creative problem-solving processes as well as the renegotiation of mathematical concepts. In particular, the periods of early antiquity and the early Middle Ages provide exciting sources for the development of mathematics. Within this setting, the goal is to take an appreciative look at the historical representations of mathematics as a cultural achievement. Transfer to mathematics teaching at elementary schools is equally important.
Another research interest of Prof. Dr. Schorcht is in the area of artifacts relating to mathematics didactics. These demonstrate vastly differing usages of mathematical representations. Operations with mathematical representations represent a genuine mathematical activity. All mathematical activity is based on mathematical operations with representations – be it counting with fingers or solving a system of equations. In this process, structures are recognized and their relationships are mathematically translated and applied for operations. Within this topic area, therefore, the main focus is on the uses of mathematical representations for mathematical teaching and learning. The goal is to identify and describe the cognitive processes of school children so that teachers can encourage these processes and thus bring the joy of mathematical discovery into the classroom.
The digital change brings with it new possibilities for mathematical representations and their interpretation. Prof. Schorcht is also interested in researching which digital representations support students in the process of mathematical learning and the particular challenges they face.
In summary, Prof. Schorcht's goal is to enhance the creativity of elementary school students interested in mathematics when dealing with mathematical representations in digital settings. Especially in the projects “Mathe-KLIPS,” “Mathe für Cracks” and “ÜberLeGMa,” he is dedicated to these topics and sheds light on mathematical representations from a historical, contemporary and future perspective.