Beyond Cultural Capital: African Immigrant and Refugee Families' Support for Their Children's Mathematics Learning

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session 12
  In Roundtable Session: Critical (Pedagogical) Approaches to STEAM Education

Abstract

In this paper, I share an aspect of a larger study’s (doctoral work) which employed cultural capital and Afrocentric worldviews to investigate African immigrant and refugee parents’ support for their children’s mathematics learning in Canadian context. The case study research revealed that African immigrant families leverage various forms of capital (often taken for granted by the dominant group) in support of their children’s mathematics learning: cultural, linguistic, technological/digital and navigational capital. These forms of capital challenge the narrowly conceived definition of capital as accumulated wealth, resources, and experiences of white middle-class families. The findings provide much needed insights into ways to build culturally responsive mathematics education informed by African students’ & families’ funds of knowledge.

Author

• Kwesi Yaro, University of Alberta