Understanding the Cultural Assumptions in Middle School Algebra Textbook Sections

• In Event: What and Whose Stories Are Told in Mathematics Education and Toward What Ends?

Abstract

Math story problems reflect the characters' culture and associated images, evoking situational and visual connections among students. Teachers often depend on curricula such as textbook problems for real-world context. Unfortunately, hidden norms are often perpetuated in textbook story problems. This study reviews the cultural contexts and references of 8th-grade proportional reasoning and linear equation story problem characters, situations, and images in top-tier mathematics textbooks. We found few cultural references mentioned in story problems, and those present were mostly from White, middle-class culture. Story problems rarely challenged traditional gender roles, depicted few images of diverse individuals, problematic language for English language learners, and excluded languages other than English. Findings indicate the necessity for more attention to cultural issues in mathematics textbooks.

Authors

• Tiffini Pruitt-Britton, Southern Methodist University

• Candace A. Walkington, Southern Methodist University