Equity, Social Justice and Ethics in Mathematics Education

Abstract

The performativity policy mindset driving national and international testing highlights issues of equity in access and success according to socio-economic status, geographic location, ethnicity, gender and combinations of these factors. Researchers seek explanations for these inequities in terms encompassing engagement, participation and achievement to identify socially just and ethical practices at system, school and classroom level. The emergence of a theoretical perspective involving redistribution, recognition and participation (Fraser, Fortunes of feminism. From state-managed capitalism to neoliberal crisis, 2013) is evident in a range of studies concerning leadership, professional learning, pre-service teacher education, and pedagogies that focus on equity and social justice in mathematics education. The challenge of ethical and socially just practices at all levels and social groups is in providing access to deep learning in mathematics and success in "knowledge making" (Jorgensen,

Cost, price and profit: what influences students’ decisions about fundraising?

“…There is a need for caution that closed questions-presented as classroom tasks and/or assessment items-tell us only so much about students' knowledge and skills. Since students bring to their learning knowledge and understanding filtered through their social and cultural lenses (Vale et al 2016), it is only through exposing and seeking to understand the factors that influence them as they engage in financial problem-solving and decision-making that teachers can perhaps begin to address tensions between neoliberal and social justice ideologies noted earlier in this article in ways that are sensitive to local conditions, needs and interests.…”

“…Students bring to their learning knowledge and understanding filtered through their social and cultural lenses (Vale et al 2016). Personal values-the convictions which one finds important (Seah 2016)-have also been found to influence students' responses to worded mathematical problems.…”

Equity for excellence in academic institutions: a manifesto for change

“…(iv) Recalibrate entry requirements Admissions to posts across all institutional levels (e.g., internships, studentships, and professorships) should be holistically reviewed, accounting for barriers that the applicant may have had to overcome 49 , adjusting pro-rata for career breaks, and considering the potential that they show beyond publications, impact factors, grade-point averages and standardised test scores.…”

Relationship among the Urban and Rural Students’ Cooperative Attitude, Creative Task Engagements and Competition Value in Participating a STEAM Co-creation Contest

“…According to previous research on fairness and social justice, public awareness of the disadvantages of students in remote rural environments and remote areas has gradually increased [14], [15]. Also, related research further found that compared with students in other urban areas, students in rural areas are less interested in learning science [16].…”