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Mathematics Teacher Educators Learn from Dilemmas and Tensions in Teaching About/Through Culturally Relevant Pedagogy

Part of the Research in Mathematics Education book series (RME)

Abstract

This chapter is grounded in research by two mathematics teacher educators (MTEs) as they teach courses in culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) in mathematics to prospective and practising teachers (PTs). Using data gathered through PT projects and reflections in the context of teaching CRP courses, the authors adopt critical lenses to study MTE self-understanding and professional growth. Through personal narratives and conversation excerpts, the chapter situates the learning of two MTEs as they struggle with, and learn from, dilemmas and tensions in their teaching, including questions of who and what is “relevant”, how do PTs respond to CRP in mathematics, and how might MTEs critically reflect on their own culturally relevant practices. In its focus on the theme of learning and developing as an MTE, this chapter includes a layer of emphasis on the role that PTs play in MTE learning when dominant mathematics discourses are disrupted.

Keywords

  • Mathematics teacher education
  • Pedagogy
  • Culturally relevant/responsive
  • Critical
  • Narrative
  • Dilemmas
  • Tensions
  • Collaborative

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The course taught by one author (Nolan) was named Culturally Responsive Pedagogy in the Mathematics Classroom, so responsive is used in the sections of the paper referring to her teaching and research.

  2. 2.

    Chuck E. Cheese is an American-based restaurant and entertainment centre for children.

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Correspondence to Kathleen Nolan .

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Nolan, K., Keazer, L. (2021). Mathematics Teacher Educators Learn from Dilemmas and Tensions in Teaching About/Through Culturally Relevant Pedagogy. In: Goos, M., Beswick, K. (eds) The Learning and Development of Mathematics Teacher Educators. Research in Mathematics Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-62408-8_16

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