Math Identity and Cultural Historical Activity Theory: Storying Preservice Teachers’ Math Trajectories

• In Event: Addressing Persistent Inequities in Education Through Cultural Historical Research

Abstract

Purpose
This project further investigates the cultural contexts under which math achievement gaps continue to persist in the U.S. We analyzed secondary data from an elementary methods course to identify specific cultural features that lay the foundation for one’s math identity (Peacock & Holland, 1993). We reviewed pre-service teachers’ narratives that relate to the impact of parental/caregiver relationships, teacher relationships, specific practices for learning mathematics, and the cultural contexts that provide the structure for this activity (e.g., home environment, schooling settings, community spaces) on their math identities.

Theoretical Framework
The project draws on Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) (Engeström, 2001) to analyze pre-service teachers’ experiences learning mathematics and their appraisal of the mediating artifacts that guided such experiences. CHAT provided the parameters to deepen our understanding of the nuances of teacher-student, caregiver-student, and mathematics-student relationships and cultural practices that shape our math identities. Furthermore, CHAT provided the interpretive lens for identifying the social interactions that ultimately yielded qualitative cognitive transformation—the transfer of knowledge from one to another.

Methods
We used the concept of storying (Phillip et al., 2018) to bring these narratives to life and create a living blueprint for navigating one’s relationship with mathematics. By centering the stories of pre-service teachers as they reflected on the impact of early schooling and home experiences, we were able to draw conclusions about the cultural practices that created lasting memories—both positive and negative—that became the lessons to be shared in their future classrooms (Cole & Engeström, 1993).

Data Sources
We analyzed pre-service teachers’ descriptions of their beliefs about 1) their math abilities (and the experiences that led them to those conclusions), 2) a good learner of mathematics, 3) the impact of their family and community relationships on their perceptions of their math abilities.

Results
We were able to identify a range of unique, home and schooling cultural practices geared towards the learning of mathematics (Nicol et al., 2020). In turn, descriptions of participation in these cultural practices provide insight into the living structures through which individuals develop attitudes and dispositions towards mathematics (Alderton, 2020; Hernandez-Martinez & Vos, 2018). Although best practices have been widely studied, these studies are grounded on the superficial ideal of mathematics as a universal language. CHAT makes it possible to draw conclusions about the lasting effects of specific life events on math identity. We can study life events and identity development as two separate activity systems occurring simultaneously (one social and the other psychological). Examining this social-psychological relationship makes it possible to name inequitable learning processes that contribute to persisting mathematical achievement gaps.

Scholarly Significance
This proposal contributes rich descriptions of pre-service teachers’ accounts of their math abilities’ development. Such descriptions provide insight into the cultural intricacies of mathematics identity development (e.g., affordances of environments, family histories, value systems, home-school connections). As California implements a new Math Framework focused on equitable math instruction, our analysis centers the educational experiences/processes that categorize culturally relevant and meaningful experiences to learning and teaching mathematics beyond identifying best practices.

Authors

• Socorro Orozco, California State University - Los Angeles

• Aria Razfar, University of Illinois at Chicago