Why the Professor Can't Teach: Mathematics and the Dilemma of University Education

This is a book of complaints peppered with suggested solutions. The fundamental complaint is that mathematics is not taught with the student in mind. Universities focus on research and give teaching a secondary status. Classes are too large, teaching by professors is aloof, and too often it is a novice graduate student who teaches. There is an emphasis on pure mathematics, without reference to its applications or the context in which it was developed. Textbooks are sterile, too formal, and poorly written. Mathematics is presented as a complex, logical edifice with no attempt to explain its intellectual value outside of itself nor why it might be of value or interest to the non-mathematician. Textbooks written for liberal arts students are trivial and banal if not irrelevant and misguided. The textbook industry is motivated by greed and subject to fashion rather than thoughtful considerations of pedagogy. This book was published in 1977. Kline had previously written the 1973 book Why Johnny Can't Add: The Failure of the New Mathematics. His most enduring text is likely the 1972: Mathematical Thought from Ancient to Modern Times. He was born in 1908 and died in 1992. In the 1980s he wrote Mathematics: The Loss of Certainty (1982) and Mathematics and the Search for Knowledge (1986). Earlier books include: Mathematics in Western Culture (1953), Mathematics and the Physical World (1959), Mathematics, a Cultural Approach (1962), Calculus, an Intuitive and Physical Approach (1967), and Mathematics for the Liberal Arts (1967).

This is a very aggressive attack on how universities handle mathematics education. Other educators setting out to write critical texts "seem to believe that objectivity necessitates wishy-washiness", says Kline. By contrast, Kline's text is driven by passionate anger. He attacks many aspects of mathematics education; on one occasion, for instance, he notes that most professors consider teaching to be about "transferring material from their notes to the board" and when they for once look up from their notes they look "into the blackboard as though the students were behind it". But the main theme is the conflict between teaching and research. Research and publications yield prestige and promotions, while "since teaching can be appreciated only by students, whose opinions do not count in the adult world, teaching is not valued". Thus it is rational for professors to handle their teaching poorly in order to focus on research, and for this they are richly rewarded: "Universities hire professors the way some men choose wives - they want ones that others will admire". So indeed "'Publish or perish' is not a threat to professors only, for its actual interpretation is 'Publish, and perish the students'". Related to this is Kline's criticism of modern mathematical research itself: "Mathematicians today care less and less about why mathematics should be created and pursued. They pay far less attention to what is worth knowing or what benefits society; nor do they question why society should support them. One of the most disturbing facts about current research is that graduate students, young Ph.D.'s, and even many established mathematicians no longer ask, Why should I undertake this particular investigation? Any inquiry that promises to produce answers and publication is regarded as worthwhile. No commendable purpose need be served except, perhaps, to advance the career of the researcher. [...] The pointlessness of much current research is evident in the very introductions to papers. Students and professors seeking themes for investigation scan the publications and tag onto them. Many a paper begins with the statement, 'Mr. X has given the following result... We shall generalize it,' or, 'Mr. X has considered the following question... A related question is...' There may be no point to either the generalization or the related question. Another common introduction states, 'It is natural to ask...'; a most unnatural and far-fetched question follows. The consequence is a wide variety of worthless papers." There is also a chapter on what should be done. One of the key points is that not all professors should be specialised researchers: "The first remedy lies in recognizing scholarship as well as research. Research in mathematics means the creation of new results or, at least, new methods of proof. Scholarship - which fundamentally implies breadth, knowledge in depth, and a critical attitude toward that knowledge - is currently deprecated." But: "A good exposit

I read this book about 15 years ago just before I entered an engineering university. Kline's basic premise is that mathematics professors are far more interested in research than in teaching; he also faults the abstract and non-intuitive (and dull) mathematics textbooks that discourage and mystify students rather than enlighten. Unfortunately, all of this still applies today... not just in mathematics, but in science and engineering as well. Simply put, the university system in the US is broken...the cost of tuition keeps going up, but this has almost nothing to do with the "quality" of education. Rather it goes into paying salaries of prestigious professors who care only about their research...teaching is simply a nuisance to them (and few of them are good at it anyway). What's needed is a new low-cost method (web-based courses or even animation) that is more intuitive and pedagogical than the current lecture-based system. (Research shows that the lecture-system is almost the worst way to learn.) In this day and age, a good education (e.g., an interactive program that can adapt to an individual's learning style on a low-cost media like a DVD) should be a commodity; the fact that the cost for "higher" education is out-of-control like health-care costs (another institution that sticks to antiquated methods) is one of the greatest failures of our so-called modern society. Burdening US students with massive student loans when they're not going to be able to get the high-paying jobs anymore due to globalization is unsustainable... the so-called "prestige" of graduating from a "top" private university isn't worth it. In fact, the more you pay, the worse the teaching (because research has even greater priority in the "best" schools). That's why "top" schools are so selective...so students can get good grades IN SPITE of the inept teaching!

As the author says, "this book is dedicated to the undergraduate students in American colleges and universities." That is exactly what it is. Rarely we, the lowly lowly undergraduates, ever get a chance to speak our own opinion; let alone some prominent professor putting his own feet in our shoes and speak out for us. Kline is spetacular in his criticisms of undergrad math teaching. Not only that he is sharp, he is incredibly humorous. I cannot help bursting into laughters at so many paragraphs. Let me make a couple of quotes from the last chapter."If this condemnation appears too strong, let us remember that with respect to character, mathematicians, whether researchers or teachers, are just a cross section of humanity and, with respect to egotism, a rather disagreeable portion of humanity.""The writing in mathematics text is not only laconic to a fault; it is cold, monotonous, dry, dull, and even ungrammatical." "The books are not only printed by machines; they are written by machines." I am sure you will not only enjoy reading, but also will learn much from this wonderful book. Professor Kline has a true heart.

This book did my heart to shake. The emphasis in this book is on undergraduate mathematics education. What is mathematics ? It is a major branch of our culture,the backbone of scientific civilization,and the basis of our technology and insurance structures. Its value to the social sciences,biology,and medicine is also by no means negligible. Morris kline is speaking clearly why professor can't teach a student. I thank to God about this book.