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Research in Mathematics Education in Australasia 2008–2011 pp 67–87Cite as

Indigenous Students and the Learning of Mathematics

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Abstract

In the last four years, there has been significant growth in the amount of research that has investigated issues to do with Indigenous students learning mathematics. This research includes some exciting studies which document how the skills and knowledge that Indigenous students bring to their mathematics learning have been utilised as an affordance for that learning. Other research continues to position Indigenous students as being 'abnormal' because their achievement in mathematics on standardised tests is not the same as that of non-Indigenous students. There are many undesirable consequences of research which begins with such an assumption. In this chapter, we document the research which has been undertaken in this area in Australasia in the last four years and outline how the limitations from assumptions about Indigenous students affect the research findings and pedagogical implications.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Education, Malmö University, Scania, Sweden

    Tamsin Meaney

  2. Faculty of Education, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

    Colleen McMurchy-Pilkington

  3. Faculty of Education, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

    Tony Trinick

Authors
  1. Tamsin Meaney
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  2. Colleen McMurchy-Pilkington
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  3. Tony Trinick
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Research Institute for Professional Practice, Learning and Education, Charles Sturt University, Albury Wodonga, Australia

    Bob Perry

  2. Research Institute for Professional Practice, Learning and Education, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, Australia

    Tom Lowrie

  3. Research Institute for Professional Practice, Learning and Education, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, Australia

    Tracy Logan

  4. Research Institute for Professional Practice, Learning and Education, Charles Sturt University, Albury Wodonga, Australia

    Amy MacDonald

  5. Research Institute for Professional Practice, Learning and Education, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, Australia

    Jane Greenlees

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© 2012 Sense Publishers

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Meaney, T., McMurchy-Pilkington, C., Trinick, T. (2012). Indigenous Students and the Learning of Mathematics. In: Perry, B., Lowrie, T., Logan, T., MacDonald, A., Greenlees, J. (eds) Research in Mathematics Education in Australasia 2008–2011. SensePublishers, Rotterdam. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6091-970-1_5

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