Stated Aims and Hidden Functions of School Mathematics: The Teachers' Perspective

• In Event: AERA Poster Session 4
  In Poster Session: Mathematics Education Research Poster Session 1

Abstract

United States secondary mathematics education is not achieving many of its beyond-the-classroom aims (e.g., Rampey et al., 2016). Current efforts at curricular and instructional reform may provide the solution. However, if teachers’ aims don’t match the stated aims of the system, or if the function of school mathematics in society is different from its stated aims, existing reform efforts may not be sufficient. This paper explores teachers’ perspectives on this possibility by describing an analysis of interviews with fifteen high school mathematics teachers about the aims and functions of school mathematics. It finds that these teachers’ aims are consistent with commonly-stated aims but that they identify functions of school mathematics that potentially interfere with some of these aims.

Authors

• Andrew S. Richman, Lesley University

• Leslie Dietiker, Boston University