Historic documents lay a framework for an axiological position supported by the NCTM Standards. Many mathematics education professionals who support the Standards are unaware of the axiological foundation proposed within the Standards. Concerns are raised that the axiological position held by the Standards is inconsistent with the beliefs of many.
I argue that complete support for the Standards without fully understanding its axiological foundation is anti-scholarly.
Educational philosophy is traditionally divided into five distinct yet interacting domains. Each of the five areas asks and answers one or more specific questions:
Axiology, more specifically, is a field of philosophical
investigation which considers the question: What is good or best for a
person or a culture? Within the realm of educational philosophy,
this question takes on a more
specific form: What should be learned, by whom, and for
what end? Axiological inquiry has foundational implications for curricula,
educational goals, and objectives.