"Access" in Mathematics Education: Expanding Our Perspectives With Primary Historical Sources

• In Event: Equity Topics in Mathematics Education

Abstract

In this paper, we examine one of the key constructs in mathematics education: access. Most discussion about access is centered around issues of equity and social justice and the availability of resources and opportunities for student learning. In this paper, we provide an expanded framing of access based on situated learning theory. We provide our qualitative analysis of data related to students’ learning experiences with curriculum materials based on primary historical sources in Abstract Algebra. We report our results in three themes that describe the opportunities for access created by the materials: mathematics, mathematicians, and both mathematics and mathematicians. We also discuss what such experiences fail to provide students regarding access.

Authors

• Cihan Can, Florida State University

• Kathleen Michelle Clark, Florida State University

• Mark Watford, Florida State University – Tallahassee