“I Don’t Even Want to Touch Quadratics”: How Mathematics Content Structures Teachers’ Ethical Decision-making

• In Event: Exploring Various Teaching and Learning Methods of Mathematics Topics

Abstract

This study examines how conceptualizations of mathematics content structure teachers’ ethical decision-making about the learning opportunities that should be made available to students. Drawing on social practice theory, our discursive analyses of audiorecordings of eighth-grade mathematics teachers’ co-planning meetings prior to the state Algebra 1 exam illustrates how traditional, topical conceptualizations of quadratics contribute to making tracked classes the most sensible outcome. Extending literature on teacher collaboration and teachers’ decision-making in relation to their pedagogical responsibilities, this study foregrounds the role of conceptualizations of mathematics content in structuring teachers’ concurrent activities in collaborative decision-making. It suggests that addressing the pervasiveness of inequities such as tracking requires shifting conceptualizations of mathematics, not just teacher mindsets or their deficit views of students.

Authors

• Grace A. Chen, New York University

• Nurdan Turan, New York University

• Sarah C. Radke, Concord Consortium

• Anne S. Burgunder, New York University

• Jasmine Y. Ma, New York University