(Trans-Multi)Culturally Responsive Mathematics: (Re)Creating Spaces for Loving Kindness

In this paper, I relive my experiences of (un)learning, (re)learning and (re)searching mathematics in multiple cultural contexts. I begin by recounting the moments of dilemma that many students encounter in various cultural contexts, which inspired me to weave the threads of (trans-multi)culturally responsive mathematics. I share this story through the narratives, poems and digital postcards that I created in my auto-ethnographical life writing of engaging in (re)learning of and with(in) mathematics. Underlying these efforts and actions is the hope that sharing these may help in creating spaces for inviting (trans-multi)culturally responsive mathematics in contemporary diversity-rich classrooms. Informed by critical and transformational multicultural education perspectives and the insights of key curriculum scholars—Aoki, Pinar, Schwab, Leggo and Noddings—a (trans-multi)culturally responsive mathematics is a calling for teachers to acknowledge mathematics as a human endeavour. It is an initiation to invite student’s lived experiences and multiple ways of knowing in mathematics classrooms with relational caring and loving kindness. Aiming to educate diverse students in a socially-just manner, a (trans-multi)culturally responsive mathematics urges teachers to embrace wholistic teaching that not only focuses on the mind and body, but also strives for educating the heart and spirit. Thus, it is an ethical, intellectual, political and relational inquiry, which critically engages students with mathematics to discover what knowledge is most worth within and beyond the boundaries of classroom(s) and thereby empowers them to co-create mathematics that is living.

An exploration of ako-rich teaching practices in an English-medium mathematics classroom drawing from the voices of Year 9 and 10 students, and their parents

<p>Ako is a traditional Māori concept underpinned by the notion of reciprocity. Ako-rich teacher practices are considered important for creating culturally responsive classroom learning environments, particularly for Indigenous Māori students. The confident implementation of teacher practices that reflect ako, gleaned from information provided in policy documents and professional development programmes, has proven challenging for many English-medium teachers. To help assist adoption of teaching practices consistent with ako, this study explored ways a Pakeha teacher could demonstrate ako-rich teacher behaviour indicator elements within student–teacher and parent–teacher interactions. A mixed method ethnographic approach underpinned by sociocultural and kaupapa Māori theories was selected for this research carried out in a multiethnic junior secondary school mathematics classroom (Māori, New Zealand European/Pākehā, Asian). The sample comprised of the study teacher from a large, urban, English-medium school, one of the researcher’s Year 9 mathematics class, one of the researcher’s Year 10 mathematics class, and some students’ parents. Two data collection periods were used: the second of four 10-week school terms, over two consecutive years. Each data collection period included classroom observations, student surveys, student and parent interviews, teacher reflection, and cultural advice. Within a holistic context of ako in mathematics, characteristics of ako-rich interactions were found to fit within three aspects of teacher practice where the teacher positioned themselves as a learner who gained knowledge by researching on their own, interacting with students, and interacting with students’ parents. The notion of reciprocity within ako was realised in this model when participants were recognised as individuals who have valuable knowledge to share, contributing to the collective knowledge generated in the classroom. There is evidence that, for many students, mathematics teachers can enhance students’ engagement and enjoyment of mathematics by explicitly using ako-rich practices in the classroom. Evidence also indicates that positive parent–teacher partnerships were encouraged by ako-rich teacher practices, inside and outside of the classroom. This research has shown that by explicitly practicing ako-rich behaviours in early secondary mathematics classrooms, shared understandings developed between students and teachers facilitated positive student experiences, which were accompanied by increased student engagement and achievement. Moreover, this research has also shown that shared understandings that developed between the students’ parents and the teacher through ako-rich teacher behaviours encouraged positive and reciprocal partnerships that facilitated parents’ involvement in their children’s mathematics learning. The ako in mathematics model can be used by teachers, school leaders, and teacher educators to increase their confidence in understanding how to more authentically bring life to the rich Māori concept of ako in mathematics classrooms.</p>

An exploration of ako-rich teaching practices in an English-medium mathematics classroom drawing from the voices of Year 9 and 10 students, and their parents

<p>Ako is a traditional Māori concept underpinned by the notion of reciprocity. Ako-rich teacher practices are considered important for creating culturally responsive classroom learning environments, particularly for Indigenous Māori students. The confident implementation of teacher practices that reflect ako, gleaned from information provided in policy documents and professional development programmes, has proven challenging for many English-medium teachers. To help assist adoption of teaching practices consistent with ako, this study explored ways a Pakeha teacher could demonstrate ako-rich teacher behaviour indicator elements within student–teacher and parent–teacher interactions. A mixed method ethnographic approach underpinned by sociocultural and kaupapa Māori theories was selected for this research carried out in a multiethnic junior secondary school mathematics classroom (Māori, New Zealand European/Pākehā, Asian). The sample comprised of the study teacher from a large, urban, English-medium school, one of the researcher’s Year 9 mathematics class, one of the researcher’s Year 10 mathematics class, and some students’ parents. Two data collection periods were used: the second of four 10-week school terms, over two consecutive years. Each data collection period included classroom observations, student surveys, student and parent interviews, teacher reflection, and cultural advice. Within a holistic context of ako in mathematics, characteristics of ako-rich interactions were found to fit within three aspects of teacher practice where the teacher positioned themselves as a learner who gained knowledge by researching on their own, interacting with students, and interacting with students’ parents. The notion of reciprocity within ako was realised in this model when participants were recognised as individuals who have valuable knowledge to share, contributing to the collective knowledge generated in the classroom. There is evidence that, for many students, mathematics teachers can enhance students’ engagement and enjoyment of mathematics by explicitly using ako-rich practices in the classroom. Evidence also indicates that positive parent–teacher partnerships were encouraged by ako-rich teacher practices, inside and outside of the classroom. This research has shown that by explicitly practicing ako-rich behaviours in early secondary mathematics classrooms, shared understandings developed between students and teachers facilitated positive student experiences, which were accompanied by increased student engagement and achievement. Moreover, this research has also shown that shared understandings that developed between the students’ parents and the teacher through ako-rich teacher behaviours encouraged positive and reciprocal partnerships that facilitated parents’ involvement in their children’s mathematics learning. The ako in mathematics model can be used by teachers, school leaders, and teacher educators to increase their confidence in understanding how to more authentically bring life to the rich Māori concept of ako in mathematics classrooms.</p>

Translanguaging as Inclusive Pedagogical Practices in English-Medium Instruction Science and Mathematics Classrooms for Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students

In English-medium instruction (EMI), English-as-a-second-language students will learn all/some subjects through English. Although there are a considerable number of studies which explore classroom interaction in Hong Kong (HK) secondary EMI schools, few studies have investigated EMI lessons which involve South Asian ethnic minorised students. These students share different linguistic and cultural backgrounds and they may not share a common first language with the teacher and other classmates. This study conducts a multimodal conversation analysis of science and mathematics lessons at a HK EMI secondary school, triangulated with interview data, in order to explore how the EMI teacher mobilises various resources to make discipline-specific knowledge accessible and cater for the different needs of all students in the classroom. This study argues that the process of enacting inclusive practices is a process of translanguaging which requires the EMI teacher to mobilise various available multilingual and semiotic resources and draw on what students know collectively for transcending cultural boundaries from the students’ everyday culture to cultures of school science and mathematics.

Learning progressions/trajectories in mathematics: Supporting reform at scale

In recent years, attention has turned to the development of evidenced-based learning progressions/trajectories as a means of identifying the likely paths learners might take in developing a deep, well-connected understanding of key aspects of mathematics. However, the extent to which this work influences what happens in mathematics classrooms varies greatly depending on the prevailing relationship between curriculum, pedagogy and assessment. This article will draw on current policy documents and the literature to challenge current assumptions at the national level about what constitutes a learning progression. It will draw briefly on the results of a recently completed, large-scale study on mathematical reasoning in the middle years of schooling to make a case for evidenced-based learning progressions/trajectories as boundary objects in reconnecting and rebalancing the curriculum, pedagogy and assessment relationship to support reform at scale.