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Racialization through coloniality in mathematics curricula: problematizing the Cambridge Assessment International Examination in Sub-Saharan Africa

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Abstract

In this essay, I examine coloniality as a racializing force within international education curricula. I focus on the British-developed Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) curriculum, previously known as the Cambridge International Education (CIE) curriculum. Using the CAIE as a specific case, I discuss how international curricula serve as vehicles of coloniality and simultaneously reproduce racialized narratives about Sub-Saharan Africans. The persistence of CAIE is implicated in the ongoing project of coloniality, sustaining and reproducing racial hierarchies and the marginalization of Sub-Saharan African communities. I contend that CAIE privileges a singular way of thinking and being in mathematics and uses assessment practices to perpetuate coloniality. By recognizing the ways in which coloniality and racialization are interconnected, we can better understand the complex systems of power and privilege that shape international mathematics curricula.

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The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon request.

Notes

  1. See Mckittrick’s (2014) essay “Mathematics Black Life” and Yasiin Bey’s (formerly Mos Def) (1999) song “Mathematics” for compelling counterexamples.

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Acknowledgements

I extend my gratitude to the special issue editors and the anonymous reviewers for their invaluable feedback, which has greatly enhanced the quality of this paper. I am particularly thankful to Christopher Dubbs for his consistent review and encouragement throughout the drafting process. Additionally, I appreciate the insightful feedback provided by Erika Bullock and Steven Khan on earlier versions of this manuscript.

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  1. Faculty of Education, York University, 273 Winters College, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON, M3J 1P3, Canada

    Oyemolade Osibodu

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Osibodu, O. Racialization through coloniality in mathematics curricula: problematizing the Cambridge Assessment International Examination in Sub-Saharan Africa. Educ Stud Math (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-024-10313-9

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