Mathematics at the Margins
Schools classified as marginalized exhibit a complex cluster of factors, including parents who have low socio-economic status and low levels of education, and contexts where social networks are weak, there are few role models and in general there is a lac
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Mathematics at the Margins
Abstract Schools classified as marginalized exhibit a complex cluster of factors, including parents who have low socio-economic status and low levels of education, and contexts where social networks are weak, there are few role models and in general there is a lack of opportunity. In the Australian context these schools tend to be in isolated geographical locations, and have large cohorts of students who either have English as their second language or are Indigenous. The problems that these schools face are universal. Teachers often struggle to work in these contexts, and students are at the greatest risk of not succeeding at school let alone mathematics. The focus of this book is to share the findings from a four-year longitudinal study Representations, Oral Language and Engagement in Mathematics (RoleM) that was situated in the most marginalized schools in Queensland, Australia. The participating students were in their first four years of school. The overall aim of the book is to share the journey of these teachers and students, and to draw out the dimensions that assisted these students to become successful learners of mathematics.
Defining Mathematics and Marginality In this chapter we discuss/define (a) the terms ‘mathematics’ and ‘marginality’, (b) the intersection between the terms (mathematics and margins), and (c) present a conceptual framework that influences marginalized students’ opportunities to learn. A brief synopsis of the other six chapters in the book is also provided. The notion of margins is deliberately chosen to underscore this book as it has many interpretations that are applicable to the research that this longitudinal study represents. For example, mathematics itself can marginalize students. Additionally, teachers assume that students at the margins of society will be unsuccessful in mathematics and hence do not afford them the opportunity to engage in high levels of mathematics. Thus, the notion of margins forms the foundation for the book’s direction and subsequent discussions.
© The Author(s) 2016 E. Warren and J. Miller, Mathematics at the Margins, SpringerBriefs in Education, DOI 10.1007/978-981-10-0703-3_1
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1 Mathematics at the Margins
Marginalized Contexts While marginalized contexts have traditionally been defined as neighborhoods with financial disadvantage, this is now seen to be too simplistic. ‘Poverty line measures tend to belie the complexity and scope of disadvantage’ (Price-Robertson 2011, p. 2). Marginalized communities are disadvantaged in all aspects of life and result from the interplay between unemployment, racial isolation, social exclusion, low educational levels, financial dependence, and drug and alcohol abuse (Berman and Paradies 2010; Price-Robertson 2011; Sampson 2000). They exhibit weak social networks, poor role models and relative lack of opportunity (Edwards 2005; Vinson et al. 2007). These types of neighborhoods are a worldwide phenomenon, existing in remote, rural, and urban contexts. Additionally, they largely consist of mino
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