#173 Research in Action 21: Developing culturally responsive mathematics education with Jodie Hunter
Aug 2, 2023
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Jodie Hunter, visiting professor at Loughborough University from Massey University, New Zealand, discusses developing culturally responsive mathematics education, the power of geometric patterns, strategies for integrating cultural learning into math, and the role of comparative judgement in evaluating student responses.
Incorporating cultural patterns in mathematics education accelerates children's academic achievement and fosters a positive mathematical identity for learners from diverse cultures.
Starting early with algebraic thinking and generalization skills can enhance students' understanding of mathematics by making connections between formal notation and real-world contexts.
Using comparative judgment for assessing student responses in mathematics provides more objective and reliable assessment results, allowing teachers to gain insights into students' understanding and progress.
Deep dives
Culturally Responsive Mathematics Education
The podcast episode discusses the importance of developing culturally responsive mathematics education in classrooms with students from diverse ethnic groups, including indigenous and migrant groups. The guest, Jodi Hunter, shares insights on using culture as a strength to build connections between mathematics and students' cultural backgrounds. Hunter's research focuses on incorporating cultural patterns, such as dance and art, into the classroom to develop algebraic thinking. By integrating students' own cultural experiences, mathematics becomes more relatable and meaningful, fostering a positive mathematical identity for learners from diverse cultures.
Early Algebra and Generalization Skills
The podcast episode highlights the significance of starting early with algebraic thinking and generalization skills. Starting as early as age five, students can begin to develop an understanding of concepts like the equal sign, relationships between numbers, and patterns. By listening for children's conjectures and generalizations about number properties and operations, teachers can create opportunities for students to engage in abstract thinking and justify their ideas. Additionally, the use of physical materials and manipulatives can enhance students' understanding of algebra, helping them make connections between formal notation and real-world contexts.
Using Comparative Judgment for Assessing Student Responses
The podcast episode introduces the concept of using comparative judgment for assessing student responses in mathematics. Comparative judgment is a method that allows teachers to evaluate students' open-ended or free response tasks effectively. It helps address the challenge of marking diverse and varied answers by comparing and ranking them against each other. The method proves useful, particularly when assessing tasks that involve generalization, continuation of patterns, or mathematical writing. Comparative judgment provides more objective and reliable assessment results, allowing teachers to gain insights into students' understanding and progress in mathematics.
Improving Academic Achievement and Cultural Identity
The podcast episode discusses the positive impact of incorporating cultural tasks and patterns in mathematics education. The research conducted shows that children's academic achievement accelerates when taught through cultural contexts. Standardized tests have demonstrated significant improvements in academic progress, even in schools with low socioeconomic status. Moreover, students develop a positive attitude toward their own culture, dispelling previously held negative stereotypes. Cultural tasks also allow students to see mathematics outside of school and understand how it is interconnected with their everyday life.
Integrating Cultural Contexts in Teaching
The podcast episode emphasizes the importance of integrating cultural contexts into mathematics instruction. It suggests that teachers should value and leverage the knowledge and experiences that each student brings to the classroom. For instance, teachers can use cultural artifacts and practices in tasks and discussions to make mathematics more relatable and inclusive. By doing so, teachers create opportunities for students to connect mathematical concepts to their own cultural background. However, the episode also cautions against tokenistic approaches and emphasizes the need for authentic and meaningful integration of cultural contexts to enhance engagement and learning.
Jodie Hunter is a visiting professor at Loughborough University from Massey University, New Zealand. We discuss developing culturally responsive mathematics education in classrooms with students from diverse ethnic groups including Indigenous and migrant groups through building on culture as a strength.
This is part of my Research in Action mini-series, where I interview a researcher from the Mathematics Education Centre at Loughborough University about their chosen area of interest, and the implications for maths teaching and learning. You can check out the show-notes here: mrbartonmaths.com/blog/research-in-action-21/
Time-stamps:
Jody's background. (1:53)
What do you mean by early algebra? (7:34)
Cultural representation of mathematics in school. (14:17)
The power of geometric patterns. (21:39)
How children's academic achievement accelerates. (26:56)
Shoehorning in inverted commas and real-life applications. (31:58)
Strategies on how to integrate cultural learning into maths. (38:06)
Advice for teachers on how to help students. (43:58)
The role of comparative judgement in evaluating student responses. (47:45)
Getting students to look at other students' responses. (53:07)
Quality-assured resources for teachers. (58:58)
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