(Re)Presenting Critical Mathematical Thinking Through Sociopolitical Narratives as Mathematics Texts

Fish, Michael B.; Persaud, Anthony W.

doi:10.1007/978-94-6091-930-5_5

Cited by 6 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 22 publications

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“…Examinations of African Americans' experiences and achievement in mathematics contrast with the culture-free and situated perspectives of mathematics learning often found in the literature. (Challenges to this neutral perspective include Fish & Persaud, 2012;Greer & Mukhopadhyay, 2012;Hand & Taylor, 2008. ) While some scholars are quick to indict disciplines such as literacy and history as places where racist discourse, politics, and policies abound, the mathematics classroom, in fact, can serve as a primer for promoting colorblind language and ideologies (Martin, 2000(Martin, , 2009a(Martin, , 2010.…”

Section: Mathematics As Racialized Hierarchies Of Learning and Participationmentioning

confidence: 99%

When It Comes to the Mathematics Experiences of Black Pre-Service Teachers… Race Matters

McGee

2014

Teachers College Record: The Voice of Scholarship in Education

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Background/Context There is a growing body of research that conceptualizes mathematics learning and participation as racialized experiences; that is, learning experiences structured in part by the negative and unjust race relations that are present in U.S. society. However, the role racialized experiences play in the lives of Black elementary education pre-service students from urban contexts, as both students and future teachers of mathematics, is under theorized. Theoretical Framework Using critical race theory's racial micro-aggressions and the development of a mathematics identity, the author explores the mathematics experiences of 13 Black advanced undergraduate students who are elementary education majors. The participants’ narratives reflect their experiences as both students of mathematics and future teachers. Research Design A qualitative phenomenological research design was used to explore the prior and current mathematical experiences of the study participants and their future trajectories as teachers of mathematics. Reponses were coded to reveal themes of racialization and the development of the participants’ mathematics identities. Results The participants’ narratives cited Black male fathers and close male relatives as their first mathematics teachers, the presence of culturally affirming at-home mathematics activities, and detailed aspirations to teach mathematics fearlessly to their own children and future students. Their more recent experiences included academic struggles in mathematics, often stemming from racial stereotyping and non-affirming college mathematics teachers. Their voices suggest that, within the context of learning mathematics, they have generated self-constructions that include racism as part of their shared African American experience in mathematics schooling that have implications for their teaching of mathematics. Conclusion/Recommendations Recommendations include the provision of professional development that targets gaps in mathematics that are the result of inadequate and discriminatory learning opportunities, and culturally sensitive professional development for mathematics college faculty, with differentiated training for mathematics faculty not born in the U.S. In light of the high proportion of Black teachers working in urban schools who face a host of difficulties, this research also supports the continued development of combatting racial micro-aggressions in mathematics education as a decisive tactic to improve the retention of Black elementary education teachers.

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Section: Mathematics As Racialized Hierarchies Of Learning and Participationmentioning

confidence: 99%