Sense of Belonging in Mathematics

The book states that “young people seek to fit in and belong in any way they can” (pg. 310). In the Goals for Achieving Diversity in Mathematics Classrooms, the author also discusses the importance of belonging and how it helps students succeed in mathematics. The author suggests that teachers take on a participation-view of learning, in which teachers and students participate in practicing mathematical concepts as a community (being the classroom in this case). This type of learning has three dimensions: a joint enterprise, a shared repertoire, and a mutual engagement.

A joint enterprise is a when the members of a community engage in activities together, such as producing solutions to problems. In interacting with each other, they acquire more mathematical knowledge. A shared repertoire includes unspoken norms, like studying, doing homework, and taking tests. The third dimension is when there is mutual engagement within the joint enterprise and shared repertoire. These are the ingredients of a classroom where students feel a sense of belonging. When students can use each other to gain mathematical knowledge, they connect with each other and grow as a community. Students can bring their background experiences and knowledge to the table to help solve problems. This way all students feel that sense of belonging.

Want to check out the article from National Council of Teachers of Mathematics?

http://www.nctm.org/resources/nea/mt2005-11-253a.pdf

Deficit Perspectives Challenged in the Mathematics Classroom

In the book, the authors address the idea of deficit perspectives, which is "the theory that genetic or cultural inferiority is the cause of academic failure" (pg. 257). This theory has been prevalent in the history of our education system. Low achievement is blamed on the home life of Blacks. Or low achievement is based on ancestry. Those are common deficit perspectives that still exist today and continue to influence policy. 

In the mathematics classroom, there are even further deficit views. In the article, Challenging the Math Box, the authors consider the deficit views. One view is the idea that women are not intellectually developed enough to aster math. This view is carried over to low-income family students and minorities. There is noticeable achievement gap for these three groups within the mathematics, science and technology classrooms. So, researches started into looking at how to teach math and what to expect?

Since curriculums have been less challenging in more impoverished and high minority schools, students are not expected to actually learn. Teachers have told them they are not smart enough to learn. Students begin to adopt that mentality and it became a self-fulfilling prophecy. If they think they are going to fail, they will fail.

Instead of low standards, the article suggests equity-based approaches. The National Council of Teachers of mathematics issued an equity principle with three aspects: “high expectations and worthwhile opportunities; accommodating differences to help everyone learn mathematics; resources and support for all classrooms and all students” (n.p.) This sounds nice and all, but it still need implementation.

That’s where programs like Math Smart! come in. This institute is a professional development program that helps teachers learn “out-of-the-box” approaches while also providing technological integrative support for the classroom. I think these new strategies definitely help put into action what we need in order to conquer these deficit perspectives.

Check this article out here: http://www.idra.org/IDRA_Newsletter/September_2005_Self_Renewing_Schools_Math/Challenging_the_Math_Box/