"I Push Myself": How a (Dis)Abled Black Girl Navigated Mathematics Identity Socialization in Middle School

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 9:45 am - Gold 2
  In Roundtable Session: Exploring Disability Identity and Student Agency

Abstract

Little research has been devoted to studying the mathematics identities of students of color with disabilities. This paper presents a case study that sought to answer two questions: "How does a Black girl with an IEP in a mathematics classroom view and enact her mathematics identity?" and "What factors of mathematics identity socialization does the focal student identify?" The study took place in a culturally diverse 8th-grade mathematics classroom, and data included twenty-six classroom observations and interviews with two students and two teachers. The findings indicate that the focal student of color with a disability courageously embraced her mathematics identity and overcame challenging socialization factors by cultivating self-determination.

Author

• Camille Griffin, Saint Xavier University