Is the relationship between art and mathematics addressed thoroughly in Spanish secondary school textbooks?

Abstract

This article discusses a review of the relationship between art and mathematics in Spanish secondary school mathematics textbooks. The art-mathematics connection identified in the textbooks was analyzed under six dimensions: (1) art for ornamental purposes; (2) art in calculation and measurement; (3) art to master concepts; (4) art to use technological resources in mathematics; (5) mathematical analysis of art; and (6) creating art with mathematics. Dimensions 1, 2 and 3 clearly prevailed over dimensions 4, 5 and 6, which called for more active participation and analytical reflection. Most of the activities attempted to illustrate the mathematics-art connection with real-world examples, but rarely entailed verifying a hypothesis or assumption nor did they encourage critical thinking for analyzing and creating art with mathematical or technological tools.