Having analysed the materials of only one student from 1937-1938, we have only fragmentary knowledge about teaching Maths in a Warsaw middle school before the Second World War. It appears that:
- The scope of material covered in Maths was similar to nowadays.
- The order of the topics is similar, but they started with linear function, then quadratic function, polynomial function, rational function and finally they introduced the definition of function in general. Today we start with the definition of function and its properties and then we explore the different kinds.
- Justification and reasoning were required – nowadays as well.
- There were methods which allowed pupils to do calculations with larger numbers (mathematical tables, algorithms for finding roots) – nowadays we use calculators.
- They struggled with a lack of text books, so the source of knowledge was only a teacher and there was a necessity to write extensive notes. In the present day we have text books, but we can also find recorded lectures and other publications.
- Geometry with construction and proofs was an important branch of mathematics – now the importance of this branch for students’ general mathematical development is growing again.
- Mathematical nomenclature in the main has not changed. In the case of differences, understanding the concept follows from the context or simply from the definition given. Older lexis is valuable for better understanding modern terms.
- The meaning of linguistic archaisms is obvious.
