The Mathematical Requirements of Engaging Civic Issues Related to the Public Good

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session Eight
  In Roundtable Session: Theorizing Democratic Citizenship in Education (Table 10)

Abstract

An assumption of the study is that schooling is not only for individual advancement, but should support the functioning of society (Council of Europe, 2018). In this poster, we share results from a preliminary study of the mathematical demands of democratic participation. Looking at the case of democracy in the United States, we analyzed the mathematical demands placed on citizens in reading newspaper articles, as newspapers are key access points for make sensing of issues related to democratic life and the public good. The mathematical demands included working from multiple units of analysis and time frames, attending to the interplay of values with mathematical analysis, and modeling. Implications for a strong mathematics education are explored.

Author

• Megan E. Staples, University of Connecticut
  Presenting Author