Critical Challenges in Researching Cultural Issues in Mathematics Education

Abstract

Over the last 20 years there has been a growing interest in cultural issues in mathematics education, with the realisation that mathematical knowledge is a cultural product and that mathematics education is culturally shaped. The focus of this paper will be on cultural aspects of research in mathematics education, and the discussion will be situated within the research context of mathematics education generally. The paper looks rstly at the challenge to teachers and curriculum developers of the idea of culturally based mathematical knowledge. The next section deals with research on teachers concerning the 'hidden' values in mathematics education, which have a cultural base. Thirdly is a consideration of researching mathematics learning and, in particular, of meeting the challenge of culturally situated learning. Finally the paper addresses some aspects of research methods themselves.

Modeling Change in Student Attitude Toward and Beliefs About Mathematics

“…Even with national reform efforts (NCTM, 1989(NCTM, , 2000, U.S. classrooms are still dominated by seatwork and review (Schmidt, McKnight, Cogan, Jakwerth, & Houang, 1999) and offer little opportunity for investigation and inquiry and linkage of mathematics to everyday life (Borasi, 1996). Such an atmosphere portrays certain values about mathematics (Bishop, 2000). Although students often report that they believe mathematics is useful, they also report that mathematics is mostly memorization (Dossey et al, 1988;Wilkins, 2000).…”

“…Findings from this study suggest that students' exposure to more challenging mathematics curricula may help curb the development of a negative attitude toward mathematics and a negative perception of its importance. In other words, different courses may exude different values and different levels of "mathematically enculturating curricula" that eventually influence studenls' mathematical beliefs and attitudes (see e.g., Bishop, 1991Bishop, , 2000.…”

Learners in Transition Between Contexts

“…An ethnomathematical research program can be traced to two complementary research agendas: to understand better the mathematical practices of different groups (Bishop, 2004), and to support the development of a more just and socially equitable society that deals with the economic and environmental problems facing the world (D'Ambrosio, 2010). The first arose from work from the 1960s and 1970s which showed that the development of mathematical understandings was culturally related (Wedege, 2010).…”

“…Lipka, Yanez, Andrew-Ihrke and Adam (2009) described boundary work as education across cultures which "requires bridges between elders and schooling" (p. 267). Bishop (2004) used Gee's (1996 description of "borderland discourses" to describe the differences between home and school mathematical practices. An alternative is to consider transitions in relationship to a change in horizons of learners' possibilities for their futures.…”

Examination of Mathematical Values in Classroom Practices: A Case Study of Secondary Mathematics Teachers

“…Bishop (2004) öğretmenlerin sahip olduğu ve matematik derslerinde gözlemlenen değerleri, birbirlerinin tamamlayıcısı üç kategoride sınıflandırmaktadır. Matematiğin ideolojik çiftleri rasyonellik ve nesnecilik; matematiksel gelişmeyi yönlendiren duygusal değerler kontrol ve ilerleme, diğer insanlar arasındaki ilişkiyi ortaya koyan sosyolojik değerler ise açıklık ve gizem değerleridir (Bishop, 1988, s. 82;Bishop vd., 1999).…”