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Social justice mathematical modeling is powerful in helping teachers build awareness of social issues, critique existing systems, and engage in rich mathematical reasoning. In this article, we document a task in which 28 preservice teachers (PSTs) explored if teacher pay is fair and how to define “fair” mathematically. Through qualitative analysis of PSTs’ reflections, we studied the effectiveness of the task through the lens of critical consciousness. Twenty-six of the participants reported developing social and mathematical agency with respect to the task. Because the task related to PSTs’ lived experiences, it allowed them to examine their assumptions about teacher pay, empowered them to use mathematics to explore different perspectives, and helped them envision ways they could enact change.
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Engaging Teachers in the Combination of Statistical Investigation and Social Justice: Fairness in School Funding
This Perspectives on Practice manuscript focuses on an innovation associated with “Engaging Teachers in the Powerful Combination of Mathematical Modeling and Social Justice: The Flint Water Task” from Volume 7, Issue 2 ofMTE. We built on Aguirre et al.’s (2019) integration of mathematical modeling and social justice issues in mathematics teacher education to similarly integrate statistical investigations with social justice issues.
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- PAR ID:
- 10481305
- Publisher / Repository:
- Mathematics Teacher Educator
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Mathematics Teacher Educator
- Volume:
- 11
- Issue:
- 2
- ISSN:
- 2167-9789
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 139 to 142
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.5951/MTE.2022.0016
