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Encyclopedia of Mathematics Education pp 1–5Cite as

Cultural Influences in Mathematics Education

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Definition

Extensive educational scholarship investigates why different demographic groups of students are less successful than others; much of that scholarship has focused on characteristics of the students themselves, for example, their motivation, affect, attitudes, preparation, and ability. In this chapter, we turn from characteristics of students to identify some ways that cultural and societal contexts surrounding schooling and mathematics affect opportunities and performance for groups of people who have traditionally been underrepresented in mathematics. Understanding these contexts and the constraints they impose on some students is crucial for the development of strategies to create more accessible and equitable learning environments.

Miners used to take a canary into the mines to signal whether or not the air was safe to breath. If the canary thrived, the atmosphere was safe. If the canary became sick or died, the atmosphere was toxic. Members of oppressed groups – people of...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Educational Theory and Practice, University at Albany, Albany, NY, USA

    Abbe Herzig

  2. Department of Mathematics, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA, USA

    Olof B. Steinthorsdottir

Authors
  1. Abbe Herzig
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  2. Olof B. Steinthorsdottir
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Abbe Herzig or Olof B. Steinthorsdottir .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. South Bank University Centre for Mathematics Education, London, UK

    Steve Lerman

Section Editor information

  1. Department of Mathematical Sciences, The University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA

    Bharath Sriraman

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© 2019 This is a U.S. Government work and not under copyright protection in the US; foreign copyright protection may apply

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Herzig, A., Steinthorsdottir, O.B. (2019). Cultural Influences in Mathematics Education. In: Lerman, S. (eds) Encyclopedia of Mathematics Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77487-9_38-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77487-9_38-6

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-77487-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-77487-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference EducationReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Education

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