Rosalind Crump

EDUC 5433
Shaunda Wood

Teaching Math in a Cultural Context: An Annotated

Bibliography

This selection of articles centres around the theme of teaching Math in

a cultural context, providing students with authentic and meaningful
connections to mathematical concepts. The articles argue a range of
common points, from the importance of including family in the classroom
and in all aspects of learning in order to enrich the cultural framing of a
lesson, to extending mathematical concepts in a tangible way outside of
their in-class application, to emphasizing the need for teacher candidates to
be trained in cultural awareness and prepared to teach all lessons in a
culturally responsive manner, allowing each student to learn to the best of
their ability in a supportive environment.

Bottoms, S. A. I., Ciechanowski, K., Jones, K., de, . H. J., & Fonseca, A. L. 2017.
Leveraging the community context of Family Math and Science Nights
to develop culturally responsive teaching practices. Teaching and
Teacher Education, 61, 1-15.
http://ac.els-cdn.com/S0742051X16303857/1-s2.0-S0742051X16303857-
main.pdf?_tid=a1141b80-e310-11e6-8977-
00000aacb362&acdnat=1485357304_67997a36eb413e461adf0926281f7148

This article explores the importance of introducing teacher

candidates to diverse classrooms and their surrounding communities in
order to learn to practice culturally responsive teaching and provide
equitable learning opportunities for all students in their future
classrooms (p. 2). The authors discuss the importance for teacher
candidates to broaden their experience and scope of understanding,
and how crucial it is to be open to debunking their beliefs and
preconceptions in order to raise consciousness about their own
assumptions, and adequately address them in order to create the best
learning environment for all (p. 3)
The article focuses on a series of Family Math and Science
Nights (FMSN), in which students came to the school with their
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parents and family to take part in various activities. The article

discusses how the teacher candidates engaged with students and their
families, sharing their reflections on their expectations and hesitations.
While the article centres primarily on teaching science, all of the
observations and arguments made hold true for teaching mathematics.
Acknowledging that cultural and linguistic diversity allows students to
collaborate and cooperate in and outside the classroom, and builds
students sense of empowerment and efficacy is applicable across
curricula (p. 3).
This article is especially important for teachers-to-be as it
presents the thoughts and opinions of other teacher candidates
learning through experience in diverse classrooms. The article, for
instance, reminds readers of the importance of including all aspects of
the child in our classroom, specifically through parent involvement in
the math and science evenings. The model of FMSN is a simple and
powerful one, something that could begin to reshape parental
engagement in schools something, the authors argue, that is a
necessity (p. 4).
The authors performed a qualitative study, necessary in this
complex area of celebrating cultural diversity in the classroom. The
authors highlight some weaknesses of the study at the close, outlining
how they have revised steps for future work with teacher candidates,
such as providing them with more opportunities for interaction and
reflection (p. 14).
SueAnn Bottoms is a professor in the Department of Education at
Oregon State University. Her principal study area examines how
preservice teachers use anti-deficit perspectives to inform practice as
science teachers, as well as inform relationships with students and
families at their schools. Current research projects include Families
Involved in Education: Sociocultural Teaching and STEM (FIESTAS).
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Gear, A. (2012). A cultural introduction to math. Teaching children

mathematics, 18, 6.
http://www.nctm.org/Publications/teaching-children-
mathematics/2012/Vol18/Issue6/A-Cultural-Introduction-to-Math/

This article explores teaching Math in a cultural context that is

West Coast-specific, focusing on the Haida and non-Haida community
of Haida Gwaii, BC. This was a notable strength of the article, placing
teaching in cultural context within a Canadian framework, so crucial to
teacher candidates entering the Canadian school system where too
often Indigenous students culture is overlooked, excluded or ignored in
the classroom. The article challenges educators to transform their
practice, shifting lessons to include family and community in all
aspects of learning (p. 360).
The article discusses the importance of parent, guardian and
community involvement in the education process, in particular a
parent-supported program PALS (Parents as Literacy Supporters),
acknowledging both the central role of family in their childs education
and designed to respect the parents, family members, and the
community as caretakers of the knowledge that is passed on to their
children (p. 359). The program sought to introduce lessons through a
familiar, culturally-relevant lens, teaching math with culturally-relevant
material. This took the form of introducing concepts through stories
sharing traditional knowledge, incorporating familiar manipulatives
collected from the beach into lessons, and inviting community
members into the classroom to share skills, such as cedar basket
weaving as a way to explore patterns, emphasizing to students how
mathematics has always been a part of [their] culture (p. 359).
Gear acknowledges at the beginning of the article that she
comes from the culture of power that designs curriculum, and
reiterating this in the conclusion by stating she holds an even greater
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responsibility to ensure that traditional knowledge is increasingly

placed at the core of the curriculum (359). It would have been
beneficial had the article explored more explicitly ways in which
teachers of the culture of power can responsibly and respectfully
teach material that is from a culture other than own. Gear is an early-
learning coordinator in the School District No. 50 on Haida Gwaii, with
an interest in culturally responsive education (p.360). This interest
however, does not suggest an academic background in the subject,
and Gear may therefore not have the research background to provide
detailed suggestions for a program seeking to teach in a relevant
cultural-context, beyond her own personal investment.
This article would be beneficial for all teachers-to-be, as it
challenges them to consider the necessary steps for an appropriate
and respectful shift from merely incorporating indigenous elements
into the math classroom, towards a more holistic teaching philosophy,
acknowledging mathematics is present in all of life, and is therefore
intrinsically cultural for so many peoples.

Leonard, J., Brooks, W., Barnes-Johnson, J., & Berry, R. (2010). The nuances
and
complexities of teaching mathematics for cultural relevance and social
justice. Journal of Teacher Education, 61, 3, 261-270.
http://journals.sagepub.com.proxy.hil.unb.ca/doi/abs/10.1177/0022487
109359927?journalCode=jtea&volume=61&year=2010&issue=3

This article stresses the need for teachers-in-training to develop

an understanding of the role and importance of culturally relevant
pedagogy (CRP) and social justice pedagogy (SJP) in mathematics. The
authors discuss how minority or marginalized groups may encounter a
very different experience with math in the average classroom, arguing
that [b]ased on gender or racial characteristics, students can be
conditioned to believe they are not the appropriate type of math
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student (p. 262). This, the authors stress, must be addressed to

ensure equal opportunity for all learners.
By framing mathematics in a meaningful cultural context,
students have the opportunity to form positive math identities,
connecting with the material in ways that allow them to recognize their
own abilities and strengths (p. 268). The article discusses how, for CRP
to be meaningful, it must include the use of engaging cultural
practices situated within learning communities that support student
discourse and stronger teacherstudent relationships, such as the
example of exploring mathematics and the history of the Underground
Railway through quilts (p. 263). While the quilt lesson reinforced
concepts of perimeter and area that the students remembered long
after the activity, it [also] allowed them to have a voice in the
classroom (p. 265). When students feel they are reflected and
respected in classroom activities is when meaningful learning truly
takes place.
This article raises important points for teachers-in-training to
consider, being both mindful not to trivialize culture in the
mathematics taught, and reminding teachers to take a humble,
learners position: To ensure lessons are meaningful to the students
they teach, teachers should become students of students to learn what
topics may motivate their students to learn (p. 267).
The authors of this study are professors of education. Jacqueline
Leonard, PhD, is an associate professor of Mathematics Education at
Temple University in Philadelphia. Wanda Brooks, EdD, is an assistant
professor of Elementary Education and Reading Curriculum at Temple
University. Joy Barnes-Johnson is a PhD candidate in Urban Education
at Temple University, and Robert Berry, PhD, is an assistant professor
of Mathematics Education at the University of Virginia.
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Sunstein, B., Liu, R., Hunsicker, A., & Baker, D. (2012). Math in the margins:
Writing across
curricula into community heritage. English Journal, 102, 2, 16-26.
http://www.jstor.org.proxy.hil.unb.ca/stable/pdf/23365393.pdf

This article explores the diversity between two states of one

country, exploring how two math classes separated by 1500 miles
(over 2400 km) discovered that though different, the cultural identities
of life in Iowa and life in Massachusetts shared many similarities. The
authors present their research as observation, where the researchers
watched the connections unfold between the 86 high school students,
2 Math teachers, and 2 English teachers, without any additional testing
or preplanned materials. Through pen-pal exchanges students were
able to work with peers both in their class and across the country,
providing opportunities to see the perspectives and methods of
others in problem-solving (p. 19). By sharing differing experiences
between the urban and rural classes, students were better able to
grasp a mathematical problem beyond their own experienced context
that previously may have been outside of their understanding,
resulting in students thinking as citizens of a larger nation: Thinking
about geometry in their communities and sharing with one another,
students put their math knowledge to work and [taught] others about
their place-based identities (p. 19).
The authors explore how the student exchanges evolved from
letters filled with posturing and stereotypes, positioning their lived
experiences as superior to each others, to genuine exchanges that
highlighted the similarities they shared (encouraged through the
assignment of Venn diagram charts). As they continued to write, the
students understandings of one anothers surroundings [became]
more nuanced, curious and engaging. They expanded their views of
themselves and one another (p. 22). This article stresses the
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importance of authentic context to encourage deeper understanding

and cultural awareness -through the cultural exchange of this study,
students became meaningfully engaged in the mathematics they were
learning, encouraged to share their own place-based identity, and to
learn about the identity of others.
Bonnie Sunstein is a professor at the University of Iowa, directing
undergraduate Nonfiction Writing and English Education. She has been
a fellow of the Smithsonian, and has served on the steering committee
of the Normal Mailer Writing Awards. Rossina Zamora Liu is a writer
and a writing instructor in the University of Iowas Nonfiction Writing
Program. She has published extensively about Vietnamese/American
cultural practices and teaching writing. Arthur Hunseickwer has taught
in the school system for over 30 years. He teaches Mathematics and is
a Literacy Coach at Revere High School in Revere, Massachusetts.
Deidra F. Baker teaches mathematics at Keota Jr. Sr. High School in
Keota, Iowa, and has received many mathematics research grants.

Wager, A. A. (February 01, 2012). Incorporating out-of-school mathematics:

From cultural
context to embedded practice. Journal of Mathematics Teacher
Education, 15, 1, 9-23.
https://link-springer-com.proxy.hil.unb.ca/article/10.1007%2Fs10857-011-
9199-3

Wagers article explores the importance of basing mathematics

within an applicable context beyond the walls of the classroom. If we
are constantly advocating for authenticity in the classroom, Wager
argues we must recognize that math lessons frequently present
concepts vastly different than students own experiences, when
mathematical practices cannot be disembedded from social context
(p. 13). This is all the more important when acknowledging that [t]his
may be especially true when the cultural backgrounds of the students
differ from that of the teacher (p. 11). The article recognizes that it
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may be challenging to find common points of reference or shared

experiences when the cultural context of the classroom is so diverse.
Highlighting this point, the study showed that students experiences of
cooking varied greatly, showing that when cooking rice, only one
student used measurements of cups and cup fractions; others
measured by handfuls, others measured directly in the rice cooker (p.
16). Only by opening the classroom up to discussions about students
out-of-school practices and activities can teachers hope to begin to
understand the context and mathematical framework of each student.
The article concludes strongly by stating that all students must
be heard in order to feel reflected in the classroom and respected. This
is important for all teachers to consider. If a teacher is open to learning
about students out-of-school practices, honest about their lack of
knowledge of students experiences, and eager and willing to explore
and to learn the most they can, then they will begin to move beyond
superficial understanding of culture and thus enrich their own
classrooms scope of mathematics: By focusing first on cultural and
out-of-school activities related to school mathematics and then
considering ways to explore the embedded mathematics, teachers
would be provided a roadmap to get beyond superficial incorporation
of culture (p. 21). This reminder to be humble and open is something
that all teacher-candidates should carry with them into future
classrooms.
Anita Wager is an assistant professor in Curriculum and
Instruction at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research
focuses primarily on broadening attitudes of teaching mathematics to
consider the cultural and socio-political contexts in which students live,
a topic in which she has published extensively.
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White, D. (2001). Kenta, kilts, and kimonos: Exploring cultures and

mathematics through
fabrics. Teaching Children Mathematics, 7, 6, 354359.
http://www.jstor.org.proxy.hil.unb.ca/stable/pdf/41199897.pdf

This article explores a specific strategy to teach math in a grade

1 in a culturally relevant way, incorporating fabrics from different
cultures to help teach concepts of geometric shapes, spatial reasoning
and patterns (p. 354). Having lessons such as this, encouraging
students tactile experience of math fosters authentic connection and
helps students understand how in-class math concepts are connected
to the world around them (p. 359). For students to see their own
culture reflected in the fabrics shared in class would foster a sense of
self-worth and pride in their cultural heritage, and simultaneously
reinforcing the relevance and meaning of math concepts being
explored.
The author explains how she and her 24 students explored fabric
from three continents: Africa, Europe, and North America, identifying
each continent on the world map as they explored each fabric, and
then examining the colours and patterns used in each (A piece of kenta
cloth, a kilt, a Mexican woven blanket, etc.). The students were also
challenged to infer what the fabrics might be used for, practicing their
critical thinking skills (p. 356).
This article provides a helpful, tangible lesson for teachers to use
as they begin their planning and consideration of teaching
mathematics through a multicultural lens. As White argues, [as] our
classrooms become more diverse, we need to find innovative and
useful ways to teach mathematics while embracing the diversity in our
students (p. 359). This article presents a simple yet meaningful lesson
to begin to do just that.
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Dorothy White teaches at the University of Georgia, with areas of

interest in equity and mathematics education reform, and childrens
mathematical literature.