The Political Identities and Civic Education Practices of America's High School Mathematics Teachers

• In Event: 44.041 - Red Classroom, Blue Classroom: Examining the Politics of America's Teachers Amid Growing Partisanship

Abstract

Objectives: At the secondary level, while social science courses are often understood as the natural academic learning space to address social and political issues with students, mathematics classrooms are also a space where students may build critical quantitative literacies to more deeply understand and transform the world around them. The purpose of this study is to understand how mathematics teachers report their political stances and civic participation as well as the extent to which they discuss social and political issues in their classrooms.

Theoretical framework: Teaching is not politically neutral, including mathematics teaching. This study views mathematics as a creative, flexible process of inquiry as opposed to an objective area of study (Ernest, 2009) and views mathematics education through a sociopolitical lens, “inherently situated in broader contexts of power and access within society” (Nasir & Hand, 2006, p. 468). Mathematical knowledge and ways of thinking are essential to collecting and analyzing data about the social and political world as well as constructing and critiquing representations (Gutstein, 2006; McGee & Hostetler, 2014; Simic-Muller et.al, 2015). Scholarship on quantitative literacy contends that mathematics education does not prepare people for the mathematical thinking required to participate as an engaged citizen (NCED, 2001).

Methods and data sources: This investigation draws on the responses of 485 U.S. public and private high school mathematics teachers. 83% of those surveyed are White, 5% African American, 3% Hispanic, and 4% Asian. 58% female; 41% male. This closely reflects racial representation in the mathematics teaching profession (NCES, 2013). The majority of mathematics teacher study participants have taught for eleven or more years and were mathematics majors in college.

Results: Preliminary analysis reveals that approximately 37% of participants reported they are liberal or very liberal, 29% moderate, and 28% conservative or very conservative. 62% reported being involved in an organization that helps the community. 78% reported discussing social and political issues with their students during the 2014-2015 school year. Over a quarter of teachers reported discussing the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. Mathematics teachers of particular political stances are not more or less likely to report addressing social and political issues; however, teachers who report being more civically engaged themselves tend to report addressing social and political issues with students at higher rates.

Significance: Mathematics skills and ways of thinking are required to participate in a democracy. The work of mathematics teachers is political. Teaching mathematics for social justice conceptualizes teaching mathematics to support students to challenge injustice in society (Gutstein, 2006). This study reveals that many mathematics teachers bring up social and political issues with their students, not just those who strive to teach mathematics for social justice, and they do so coming from a range of political views and civic experiences. The Common Core State Standards for Mathematics includes preparing students to solve problems in society (Council of Chief State School Officers, 2010); this study is timely as teachers take up the Common Core.

Author

• Mary Candace Raygoza, University of California - Los Angeles