Toward Dignity-Conferring Mathematical Spaces: Supporting Prospective Teachers to Challenge Dominant Deficit Discourses About Young Learners (Poster 18)

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Thirteen
  In Poster Session: Transforming Teaching Across Contexts

Abstract

Humanizing pedagogical approaches that support young people to bring their full selves to mathematics are gaining attention in teacher education. These approaches help to counter deficit discourses and practices that remain prevalent in schooling. In this paper, we suggest that focusing on educational dignity (Espinoza & Vossoughi, 2014) in mathematics education can support prospective teachers to foster the humanity and potential of young learners. We share examples from two pre-service contexts in which prospective teachers embodied a stance toward young people that honored their dignity as mathematical learners. This stance provided a means of actively disrupting dominant deficit discourses by prompting prospective teachers to consider how learning environments might be redesigned to better meet the needs of learners.

Authors

• Mallika Scott, California State University - Fullerton
  Presenting Author

• Sandra Zuniga, San Jose State University
  Presenting Author