Teaching Mathematics in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Classrooms: Greek-Cypriot Elementary Teachers' Reported Practices and Professional Needs

Abstract

In this article, the author presents and discusses findings from a small-scale qualitative project that included Greek-Cypriot elementary mathematics teachers working in schools with high percentages of immigrant pupils. Working in three neighbouring schools in the same underprivileged urban area, 16 teachers were individually interviewed regarding their experiences of teaching mathematics in those settings. The author discusses the teachers' reported instructional practices in facilitating their pupils' mathematical understanding, as well as their professional needs for doing so. The author's analysis suggests that teachers focused solely on providing linguistic support for their pupils, without any attempt to incorporate their pupils' diverse cultural backgrounds in classrooms. Also, the participants reported a number of professional needs not currently addressed by the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Cyprus. Some implications for policy and practice are discussed.

Mathematics teaching for migrant students in German schools—How do teachers respond to their students’ diverse needs?

“…The socio-political context in which the teachers' strategies were embedded at the time, for example, the criticism expressed by all the teachers interviewed in this study of the lack of support, such as missing curricula and teaching materials provided by the authorities, was also reflected in many studies from other countries and in Germany for subjects other than mathematics (see Diehm & Radtke, 1999;Karakayalı et al, 2017;Xenofontos, 2016). Teachers in many countries reported that it is a challenge to find appropriate learning and teaching materials for diverse student bodies.…”

“…The few studies that deal with teachers' experiences teaching mathematics in migrant classes come from countries with large (im)migrant populations, including Spain, Greece, Germany, and the United States (Fürstenau & Niedrig, 2018;Gorgorió & Planas, 2001;Höhr, 2021;Lüssenhop & Kaiser, 2020;Xenofontos, 2015Xenofontos, , 2016. In those studies, teachers articulate difficulties in addressing students' diverse languages and differences in their preparedness.…”

“…To date, the mathematics education of migrant students has attracted little international attention (Civil, 2014(Civil, , 2020, although increasing migration has led to more studies in recent years (Xenofontos, 2016). With only a few exceptions (Fürstenau & Niedrig, 2018;Höhr, 2021), our exploration of the literature revealed that more research on mathematics education for migrant children and youth is necessary, especially in Germany, which has experienced high levels of migration in the last decade.…”

“They’re coming into school hungry, they’re not ready to learn”. Scottish teachers’ perceptions of marginalization in school mathematics

“…Studies from different cultural/educational contexts inform us that many teachers have social and political intuition; they sense the interplay between school mathematics and political issues, but do not always know how to put intuition into practice in ways that help their pupils (de Freitas & Zolkower, 2009;Xenofontos, 2016). Our findings stress an urgency for more intersectional approaches in examining marginalization in mathematics education, something that could originate from research in teacher education (both initial teacher education and continuous professional development), aiming at having an impact on policymaking, teachers' practices, and pupils' lived school experiences.…”

“…Specifically, we seek answers to the following research question: "What are Scottish teachers' perceptions of marginalization in school mathematics". Examining such perceptions is of high importance, as they influence how teachers make sense of diverse classrooms and how they actively support pupils from marginalized backgrounds (Fean, 2012;White & Murray, 2016;Xenofontos, 2015Xenofontos, , 2016.…”