Dr. India White

In the field of mathematics education, it is crucial for teachers to be aware of and actively work towards dismantling inequitable practices that exist in the educational system. To see malpractice and not advocate for those who have suffered is simple inhumane, and goes against the better part of a leader’s character. By promoting cultural inclusivity and advocating for all students, particularly those from marginalized groups, math teachers can create a more equitable and inclusive learning environment. This blog post will explore the importance of cultural inclusivity and advocacy in mathematics education, drawing on scholarly references to provide insights and strategies for math teachers.

 Why Cultural Inclusivity and Advocacy Matter in Mathematics Education 

Inequitable practices in mathematics education can manifest in various ways, including disparities in achievement, access to opportunities, and representation of diverse perspectives. These inequities often stem from systemic biases and cultural misunderstandings that perpetuate academic disparities among students. By embracing cultural inclusivity and advocating for all students, math teachers can address these inequities and create a more equitable and inclusive learning environment. This can strengthen relationships in the classroom while convincing students that every classroom is a safe place where they can learn and thrive as an independent thinker.

 Research has shown that culturally responsive teaching practices can improve student engagement, motivation, and achievement in mathematics (Gay, 2000). By incorporating students' cultural backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives into the curriculum, math teachers can make the content more relevant and accessible to all students. Additionally, advocating for inclusive policies and practices within the educational system can help address systemic barriers that hinder the success of marginalized students in mathematics. This is simply necessary as educators aim to move towards greater proficiency level of all learners.

1. Build Cultural Awareness

 Teachers, be intentional about truly take the time to learn about the cultural backgrounds and experiences of your students. This can help you better understand their perspectives and tailor your instruction to meet their needs. Afterwards, take a moment to celebrate cultural differences and be intentional at protecting the authenticity of cultures and ethnic groups. In their journal Math at the Core: Culturally Responsive Teaching and Math, PBS Learning Media (2024) researchers focuses on student identity and how that can increase cultural awareness while building relationships with students from diverse backgrounds. They mention some questions to consider including:

These questions will help educators slow down enough to truly get to know each students and to frame instruction around various aspects of their culture and personalities so that all students will feel like they belong in the math classroom. 

 As you are building your lesson plans for the week, choose to integrate diverse perspectives and examples from different cultures into your mathematics curriculum. This can help students see themselves reflected in the content and make learning more engaging. Further, it will enhance self-efficacy of all learners while creating buy-in needed for collaboration throughout the learning experience. As a result, invisible “walls” will fall, and metacognition will flow in an environment all students can trust. Some ways you can build culturally relevant content has been discussed by Larry Ferlazo’s(2020) article in Ed Week titled “12 Ways to Make Your Classroom More Culturally Relevant”, and they include: “building community, student collaboration, role models, using manipulatives and literature, and giving complex work”. Not only do these strategies help with cultural relevance, it enhances rigor for each student in the learning environment.

 As you are being thoughtful about how to empower student voice, and include all learners, be mindful of the dynamics within student groups and ensure that all students have an equal opportunity to contribute and learn from their peers. For instance, when assigning group work, choose to use various roles for students to make sure all students can participate in a fair manner. Further, use random ways to assign students into roles as well as for sharing out their ideas, (i.e. Popsicle sticks, Kagan groups, etc.). Double check with all students to ensure they feel like they feel like they belong and that they are being resourceful during various group activities. 

Further, finding various ways to grade students in efforts to discover their unique traits while learning math can add value to each lesson. For instance, the use of culturally relevant rubrics is a clever way to approach the use of culture in the math classroom. In their blog titled, "Culturally Responsive Teaching Strategies for Inclusive Math," Carnegie Learning (2024) stated that “A cultural responsiveness rubric can help you evaluate if your math problems resonate with diverse cultures. It lets you gauge whether the task acknowledges different perspectives or merely reinforces stereotypes."

 When planning for success of your students each semester, recognize that students may have different learning styles and strengths. Offer multiple ways for students to demonstrate their understanding of mathematical concepts. As students are expressing various ways of how they came up with solutions or rationale, cease the opportunity to share it out with their peers and encourage thinking beyond the page and into real world scenarios. 

As you think about ways to promote success in the classroom, provide various ways for students to express their learning. For instance, in their article, “How Do We Support Students in Reflecting on Mathematics”, Cynthia Dore (2017) spoke about how teachers can “provide opportunities for students to reflect on their learning and to increase their metacognition (their thinking about their thinking).” Dore elaborated on various methods, including having students participate in “think-alouds by having them work in pairs” and answering various questions including, “and reflect on their process for solving a math problem, addressing questions during reflection in the math classroom such as: “What steps did you take? What did you do when you ran into an obstacle? How did you check your answers?"

It’s imperative to also provide closure to each lesson via a math exit slip, reflection in a math journal, or a whole class discussion on what was taught and what should be discussed the next day.

When striving for true inclusivity, foster a classroom environment that values diverse perspectives and encourages students to think critically about mathematical concepts and real-world applications. It’s imperative that you become a defender against any comments, curriculum, or external content that would dehumanize any student or their background while they are discussing their thoughts about math in the classroom. Convince your students that your class is always a place where they will be protected and feel safe. In their article titled, “How to Encourage Critical Thinking in Math”, Mary Montero mentions these 3 strategies for teachers to consider: 

Addressing stereotypes and biases is not always an easy task for teachers. However, once it is addressed for the best interests of students, it can truly improve the learning environment by assisting in stronger advocacy for students and strengthening student confidence levels. In their article titled “Getting Students on the Road to Self Efficacy”, Adrienne Waller (2021) mentioned how students from marginalized backgrounds must learn how to take up self-advocacy in the classroom. They elaborate, stating that “Self-advocacy must be taught and encouraged. It benefits all students, but is particularly important for students who have been historically marginalized because of their cultural or language background, or because of a disability.” 

 Self-advocacy is essential as we strive to close the achievement gap and helps students navigate through their journey as learners. Along with teaching self-advocacy, teachers must always have a protective lens while choosing to challenge stereotypes and biases that may impact students' confidence and achievement in mathematics. Create a supportive and inclusive classroom where all students feel valued and respected. Be brave enough to have a conversation around how to protect the learning environment and to show equal love and support for all people.  

While advocating for students, it helps strengthen their math identity altogether. In their article titled, “Getting Students on the Road to Self Advocacy, Adrienne Waller (2022) mentions how advocacy for students “makes learning manageable and prevents students from drawing global conclusions about their performance, such as “I am just not good at math.” Further, Waller spoke about how student self-advocacy also benefits their teachers by assisting them with “the questions that students ask, the help they need…that can help teachers to fine-tune their instruction.” Further, self-advocacy helps you break outside of your comfort zone and take a positive “risk” and defy the odds as you hear from learners who you might not regularly call on. It also helps you sharpen your craft as an educator and think outside the box as to how you can make a positive example out of marginalized groups of learners. 

 Engage families and communities in the learning process and seek their input on how to best support students from diverse backgrounds. Choose to reach out to families via surveys, parent nights, and other community events to find out opinions and recommendations from parents and guardians regarding how to best serve their children. Join with them to make sure all students have what they need to excel in school. In their blog on “8 Strategies for Culturally Responsive Family Engagement”, Brookes Publishing mentioned that in effort to connect with families, teachers should consider various ways to be culturally responsive including: conducting a cultural audit, acknowledge and interrupt implicit racial biases that are rooted in anti-Blackness, developing authentic, trusting relationships through home visits and more.

When discussing including, experts have defined inclusivity as, “a commitment to providing every student with equitable opportunities to engage with mathematical concepts, develop problem-solving skills, and achieve mathematical proficiency. It recognizes that learners come from diverse backgrounds, possess varying abilities, and learn in unique ways.” They also mention how when approaching inclusivity, there are various lenses a teacher can see inclusivity through and specific categories in which to approach inclusivity including: diverse student populations, varied learning styles, equity and access, individualized support, equity and social justice, real-world relevance, enhanced problem solving skills, and preparing for future careers for all learners, IEP Plans, assessments and more. Teachers, choose to do what’s best for all students and advocate for policies and practices that promote equity and inclusivity within the school and district. Be a voice for change and work towards creating a more equitable mathematics education system. Make sure that you are linked with other leaders who also support this work and can find ways to ensure that all students are being serviced in an equitable manner while also upholding policies within your district and or state.