Unforgetting the Roots: Defining Essential Characteristics of Culturally Responsive Math Education for Ed Tech Design

• In Event: Unforgetting, Designing, Reimagining: Equitable Futures in Math Ed Tech for Teachers and Learners

Abstract

Presenters define five essential characteristics of culturally responsive mathematics education and explore their application in the design of educational technology. The goal of this work is to establish a foundation for equity-centered ed tech development that supports both student learning and teacher practice. Drawing from culturally relevant pedagogy (Ladson-Billings, 1995), culturally responsive mathematics (Aguirre et al., 2013), and critical race theory in education (Ladson-Billings & Tate, 1995), the essential characteristics are designed to situate math teaching as a socio-political act. They incorporate theories of identity (Nasir et al., 2014) and humanizing pedagogy (Bartolomé, 1994) to articulate design values for justice-aligned tech. We used a design-based inquiry approach, integrating literature synthesis, interviews with equity-oriented math educators, and analysis of math teaching practices. The process was iterative and participatory, incorporating teacher and ed tech developer feedback to refine the framework. Sources include 15 semi-structured interviews with math educators (grades 3–9), a focused literature review of 42 key texts in culturally responsive math education, and classroom artifacts demonstrating equity-based practices. The framework identifies five characteristics: 1) affirming student identities, 2) cultivating agency and belonging, 3) integrating socially responsible, real-world problem contexts, 4) centering community knowledge, 5) promoting critical thinking. These elements offer a blueprint for embedding equity into instructional tech design. This framework bridges culturally responsive pedagogy with the ed tech design process and contributes a structured, actionable foundation for developers and teacher educators seeking to humanize mathematics instruction in digital environments.
References
Aguirre, J. M., Mayfield-Ingram, K., & Martin, D. B. (2013). The impact of identity in K–8 mathematics: Rethinking equity-based practices. Reston, VA: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
Bartolomé, L. I. (1994). Beyond the methods fetish: Toward a humanizing pedagogy. Harvard Educational Review, 64(2), 173–194. https://doi.org/10.17763/haer.64.2.58q5m5744t325730
Ladson-Billings, G. (1995). Toward a theory of culturally relevant pedagogy. American Educational Research Journal, 32(3), 465–491. https://doi.org/10.3102/00028312032003465
Ladson-Billings, G., & Tate, W. F. (1995). Toward a critical race theory of education. Teachers College Record, 97(1), 47–68.
Nasir, N. S., Hand, V., & Taylor, E. (2014). Culture and mathematics in school: Boundaries between “cultural” and “domain” knowledge in the mathematics classroom and beyond. In J. A. Banks (Ed.), Handbook of research on multicultural education (3rd ed., pp. 186–206). Jossey-Bass.

Authors

• Saroja Warner, Wested

• Rebecca Colina Neri, Stemuli Studios, Inc.

• Aleata Hubbard Cheuoua, WestEd