Inside the Mathematics Class

Inside the Mathematics Class: Sociological Perspectives on Participation, Inclusion and Enhancement is a collection of 15 papers that focuses on the socio-political perspectives on mathematics education.  Following two introductory chapters that set the framework for what follows, the first part of the book (5 chapters) looks at the idea of enhancement and the practices within the mathematics classroom.  The second part of the book (4 chapters) focuses on the ideas of inclusion and exclusion in social practices, specifically with respect to the mathematics classroom.  The third and final part (4 chapters which are followed by a commentary chapter) focuses on the ideas and impact of participation and its impact on mathematical learning.  Credit must be given to the editors, Uwe Gellert, Christine Knipping and Hauke Staehler-Pohl, and the many authors of this collection of papers in providing this unique focus of mathematics education and bringing to light some of what is usually unseen in the mathematics classroom.  One of the highlights of this book is the multiple perspectives brought by the authors from twelve different countries (Germany, United Kingdom, Austria, Sweden, Spain, South Africa, Norway, Chile, United States, Portugal, Canada and Australia).

 

Within the section that focuses on the ideas of enhancement, the main focus is the idea of language and its use, or lack thereof, and its impact on student learning and understanding of mathematics.  The idea of discourse and the use of language seemed to be the main overarching connection between all of these sections as it is discussed in a majority of the chapters.  In the second section on inclusion and exclusion, the chapters have different contexts to show how the ideas of inclusion and exclusion can greatly impact students in the mathematics classroom, whether the practices are intentional or not.  In the third section on participation, the authors discuss the ideas of gender and its impact (or at least potential impact) within the mathematics classroom and the role of authority (in its various forms) in student mathematical achievement.  Racism, ‘realistic’ mathematics problems, argumentation, materiality, etc. are all discussed, bringing many potential research focuses to light.

 

I would highly recommend this book for any mathematics educator that is trying to stay current with regards to the current research of sociological perspectives inside the mathematics class.  The insights found within the research that formed the base of these chapters can be applied with all groups of mathematics students, and could easily be used to springboard into further research for the betterment of student learning in the mathematics classroom.

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Brent Kelderman is a high school math teacher at Millard West High School.