Critics say the taxpayer-funded National Science Foundation has "latched onto constructivism" -- a philosophy that views knowledge as something each of us creates, rather than something absolute with its source in the physical world.

That philosophy has led the agency to embrace and support the teaching of "whole math," a form of instruction whereby children develop their own methods of multiplying and dividing, ask questions of one another rather than of teachers, and learn that answers that are close to correct are good enough. After the Department of Defense tried out whole math in its overseas schools in 1995, test scores dropped among all racial groups.

Support of whole math has left NSF on shaky policy grounds, according to critics.

• When the California State Board of Education voted unanimously last December to jettison whole math and put in place rigorous, back-to-basics standards, the NSF threatened to yank some $50 million in federal funds from the state's schools.

• Some of those receiving NSF grants describe the program as an attempt to transform science from "a white male domain" to one more in tune with "the sensibilities and values orientations of the underrepresented."

One NSF grantee, the Interactive Mathematics Project, promises to make "the learning of college preparatory mathematics accessible to students, such as women and minorities, who traditionally have been underrepresented in college mathematics classes." This is to be accomplished by de-emphasizing mathematical facts and formulas, having students work in groups and making sure each of them has a calculator at all times. Critics argue such an approach will merely reinforce unfair stereotypes that women and minorities are inept at logic, competition and mental calculation.

Yesterday, President Clinton proposed to increase NSF funding by some 10 percent -- to $3.77 billion.