Hans Freudenthal's realistic mathematical theory: Didactics and research paradigms

Freudenthal was an enthusiastic advocate of reform in traditional mathematics education. His extensive work as a founder and active participant in groups such as the International Group on Psychology and Mathematics Education (PME) and the International Commission for the Study and Improvement of the Teaching of Mathematics (CIEAEM) contributed to his popularity. In these forums he expressed his opposition to the pedagogical and didactic approaches that prevailed in the mid-twentieth century, such as operational goal theory, structured assessment tests, standardized educational research, and the direct application of Piaget's structuralism and constructivism in the classroom.