Examining Preservice Teachers’ Multicultural Mathematics Dispositions

• In Event: Roundtable Session 49
  In Roundtable Session: Mathematics Learning With Diverse Learners

Abstract

The relationship between culture and learning highlights how mathematics classroom cultures act as a context that support or constrain different forms of knowledge. This paper reports findings from a study of preservice teachers’ multicultural mathematics dispositions during a cultural awareness unit in a mathematics methods course. Analysis suggests that preservice teachers became aware of: (1) how their cultures differ from other cultures; (2) how diverse cultures think about and do mathematics; (3) how their experiences in mathematics classrooms influenced their views about how to do and learn mathematics; and (4) the value of including culture in mathematics classrooms. However, few thought critically about those issues, and most would not commit to using culturally relevant strategies to teach.

Authors

• Dorothy Y. White, University of Georgia

• Tonya Alicia DeGeorge, University of Georgia

• Dario Andres Gonzalez, University of Georgia

• Jun-ichi Yamaguchi, University of Georgia