Toward a Spiritual Turn in Mathematics Education

• In Event: Fairmont Roundtable Session Eleven
  In Roundtable Session: Indigenous Values and Experiences in Reclaiming Education (Table 8)

Abstract

The practice of futurity within Indigenous communities has existed since time immemorial, with past, present, and future intertwined and with a focus on (re)membering and healing. As futurity becomes more popular in mainstream venues, it raises questions about how it will affect mathematics education (research). In this paper, I argue for desire-based research frameworks (Tuck, 2009) and Indigenous futurity praxis (Harjo, 2019) as key components of a spiritual turn, somewhat distinct from the sociopolitical turn our field took about a decade ago. I analyze key concepts that arise in mathematics education; highlight Indigenous scholars who have taken a spiritual turn; and raise three important questions to consider in our research so that we may embrace a spiritual turn.

Author

• Rochelle Gutierrez, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  Presenting Author