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Equity and Quality of Mathematics Education: Research and Media Portrayals

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Mapping Equity and Quality in Mathematics Education

Abstract

In this chapter, we examine and compare scholarly research and media coverage of equity and quality issues with respect to mathematics learning. Our focus is on equity issues that the media are likely to cover including mathematics achievements by gender, ethnicity, and socio-economic background, as well as aspects of school practices such as ability grouping and single-sex classes that are associated with potential variations in the quality of mathematics education experienced by some students. We describe the inevitable tension between the measured and detailed academic documentation of research findings and the media reporting of the same findings constrained by space and time pressures. Quality and equity concerns are discussed in both contexts. Often, however, the versions of the story found in the print media fail to convey accurately or completely the issues fuelling or combating equity and quality in mathematics learning and education more broadly.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    No Child Left Behind.

  2. 2.

    Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

  3. 3.

    See the reference list for a record of the print media articles on which we drew for this chapter.

  4. 4.

    Some of these articles were reproduced in multiple print outlets. All were found in online archives and therefore there are no associated page numbers.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Education, Monash University, Wellington Road, 3800, Victoria, VIC, Australia

    Helen J. Forgasz

Authors
  1. Helen J. Forgasz
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  2. Gilah C. Leder
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Helen J. Forgasz .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Curtin University of Technology, Perth, West Australia, Australia

    Bill Atweh

  2. University of the Witwatersrand, Witwatersrand, 2050, South Africa

    Mellony Graven

  3. College of Arts and Science, University, Miami, 45056, USA

    Walter Secada

  4. Dept. Education, Learning &, Philosophy, Aalborg University, Fibigerstraede 10, Aalborg, 9220, Denmark

    Paola Valero

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Forgasz, H.J., Leder, G.C. (2010). Equity and Quality of Mathematics Education: Research and Media Portrayals. In: Atweh, B., Graven, M., Secada, W., Valero, P. (eds) Mapping Equity and Quality in Mathematics Education. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9803-0_15

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