Mathematics, Mathematics Education, and Citizenship: Mathematics Teacher Educators’ Conceptions and Views
Open Access
- Author:
- Brass, Amy
- Graduate Program:
- Curriculum and Instruction (PHD)
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- February 15, 2024
- Committee Members:
- Kimberly Powell, Professor in Charge/Director of Graduate Studies
Stephanie Schroeder, Major Field Member
Andrea Mccloskey, Chair & Dissertation Advisor
Andrew Baxter, Outside Unit & Field Member
Rose Zbiek, Major Field Member - Keywords:
- Citizenship
Mathematics Teacher Educators
Mathematics Education - Abstract:
- There have been an increasing number of calls for interdisciplinary work in schools to foster the development of democratic citizens. Mathematics education organizations have emphasized the role that mathematics plays in the development of informed, effective, and knowledgeable citizens. Much of the existing literature connecting mathematics, mathematics education, and citizenship is theoretical or conceptual in nature, and little is known about whether and/or how this interdisciplinary work to develop citizens is being taken up in the field of mathematics education. This study contributes empirical literature to the field by exploring how mathematics teacher educators (MTEs) conceptualize the relationships across mathematics, mathematics education, and citizenship and the relationships that exist between the connections MTEs make across mathematics, mathematics education, and citizenship and their views of their instructional practice. Data for this study consisted of Qualtrics survey responses by 90 MTEs and semi-structured, individual interviews with 20 MTEs. Different questions were utilized for the survey protocol and the interview protocol, although each protocol asked MTEs about their views on citizenship in multiple contexts (e.g., local, national); their views on the potential relationships across mathematics, mathematics education, and citizenship; and how they regarded these potential relationships as influencing their practice. Results suggest that MTEs emphasized a knowledge-based conception of citizenship, which can be understood as a reflection of the way that mathematics for citizenship is portrayed in different mathematics education standards documents. Yet, MTEs also expressed hesitation with the term citizenship in mathematics education contexts due to the exclusionary connotations of the term. The results of this study provide a better understanding of how MTEs view the relationships across mathematics, mathematics education, and citizenship and provide considerations we should take into account as the field of mathematics education continues to emphasize the role of mathematics in citizen development.