What do culturally diverse middle school students value for their mathematics learning? : thesis presented in partial fulfilment for the degree of Masters of Educational Psychology, Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
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Date
2017
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Massey University
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Abstract
Mathematics education values concern what students perceive to be worthy or of
importance in mathematics, and relate specifically to learning and pedagogy (Seah &
Andersson, 2015). These values take place in the context of activities and decisions
that are made to enhance the learning and teaching of mathematics (Seah, 2016). This
study explores the types of mathematics education values espoused by diverse middle
school learners in New Zealand, focusing on a cohort of Pākehā/European, Asian,
Māori and Pāsifika students. This study also examines the relationship between the
students’ cultural values and what they value for their mathematics learning.
The methodology used in this study involved a comparative case study to investigate
student perceptions of the most and the least important mathematics education
values. Using a survey format, students ranked twelve mathematics education values
in order of their importance, with follow up interviews to better understand the
reasoning for students ranking of certain values. The use of a range of methods
provided a more holistic approach and allowed for greater diversity of student
perspectives.
The results demonstrated that culturally diverse middle school students shared three
mathematics education values, that is utility, effort/practice and flexibility. The
commonality of these mathematics education values reflects shared educational and
societal values. However, students from different cultures (and from different
mathematics learning environments) were found to endorse alternate values as most
and least important for their mathematics learning. These mathematics education
values were reflective of the students’ cultural values as identified by earlier research
and policy documents (Hofstede, Hofstede, & Minkov, 2010; Ministry of Education
(MoE), 2011, 2013). The Māori and Pāsifika students identified most strongly with the
mathematics education values collaboration-group work and family, reflecting the
collectivist cultural values of these students. Conversely, the Pākehā/European and
Asian students espoused independent mathematics education values including
teacher explanations and mathematical understanding/clarity, reflecting New
Zealand’s individualist values, and values relating to the teacher-student power
imbalances amongst many East Asian cultures. An unintended outcome of this study
was the impact of classroom norms and pedagogy on students’ mathematics
education values, specifically, the influence of an inquiry based classroom
intervention upon the Māori and Pāsifika students’ collaborative mathematics
education values.
The findings from this study provide insight into what is valued by culturally diverse
middle school mathematics learners. It is hoped that the results from this study may
assist teachers to develop culturally responsive mathematics pedagogy which aligns
with the values of their students, leading to enhanced mathematics learning
outcomes for diverse middle school students.
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Keywords
Mathematics, Study and teaching (Middle school), Social aspects, New Zealand, Research Subject Categories::SOCIAL SCIENCES::Social sciences::Education::Subject didactics