Researching the Socio-Political Dimensions of Mathematics Education: Issues of Power in Theory and Methodology

ISBN-13: 9781402079061 / Angielski / Twarda / 2004 / 280 str.

P. Valero; Paola Valero; Robyn Zevenbergen

Opis

Mathematics education research as a discipline is situated at the confluence of an array of diffuse' seemingly incommensurable' and radically divergent discourses. Research claims that have grown out of mathematics education are wide-ranging and antagonistic rather than circumscribed by hidebound disciplinary frames. While there has never been a unified' totalising discipline of knowledge labelled 'mathematics education research'' and while it has always been a contested terrain' it is fair to say that the master paradigm out of which this field has been generated has been that of cognitive psychology. Mainstream mathematics education knowledges refracting the master discourse of psychology --whereby cognition serves as the central privileged and defining concept-- clearly delimits its possibilities for serving as a social tool of democratic transformation. The central point of departure of this new collection is that mathematics education research is insufficiently univocal to support the type of uncompromising interpretation that cognitive psychologists would bring to it. The hallmark contribution of this pathbreaking volume edited by Paola Valero and Robyn Zevenbergen is the paradigmatic shift the authors have effected in the field of mathematics education research' taking up a position at the faultline of socio-cultural analysis and critical pedagogy.

Spis treści

Contributors Preface; Peter McLaren Introduction: Setting The Scene Of This Book Socio-political perspectives on mathematics education; Paola Valero First Dialogic Unit: Challenging Traditional Research Areas From Socio-Political Perspectives The socio-political context of the mathematics classroom. Using Bernstein’s theoretical framework to understand classroom communications; Stephen Lerman and Robyn Zevenbergen Assessment, learning and identity; Dylan Wiliam, Hannah Bartholomew and Diane Reay Second Dialogic Unit: Findrng Alternative Theoretical Tools Postmodernity and social research in mathematics education; Paul Ernest Problematising culture and discourse for mathematics education research. Defining the issues; tools for research; Tony Cotton and Tansy Hardy Third Dialogic Unit: Researching In Conflictive Situations Dichotomies, complementarities and tensions. Researching mathematics teaching in its social and political context; Núria Gorgorió, Nútria Planas and Alan Bishop Lessons from research with a social movement. A voice from the South; Gelsa Knijnik Fourth Dialogic Unit: Addressing The Researcher’s Positioning Researching the school mathematics culture of ‘others’. Creating a self-other dialogue; Anna Chronaki The fly on the edge of the porridge bowl. Outsider research in mathematics education; Tamsin Meaney Fifth Dialogic Unit: Adopting Critical Approaches In Research Methodology Understanding for changing and changing for understanding. Praxis between practice and theory through action research in mathematics education; Bill Atweh Research methodology and critical mathematics education; Ole Skovsmose and Marcelo Borba Methodological challenges for mathematics education research from a critical perspective; Renuka Vithal Epilogue: Talking Back To Mathematics Education Research School subjects, the politics of knowledge, and the projectsof intellectuals in change; Thomas Popkewitz Name Index Subject Index

Blurb

This book examines mathematics education research from socio-political perspectives. It is organized in dialogic units which examine issues such as the critique of existing research results based on the adoption of socio-political approaches; the implications of alternative theoretical tools in researching mathematics education; the tensions emerging while conducting research in highly conflictive environments; the researchers’ positioning with respect to research participants; and the adoption of socio-political methodological frameworks. As a whole, the book serves to illuminate what it means to say that power is a central constituent of mathematics education practices and research.

This book will be of interest to researchers in mathematics education and general education as well as to graduate students taking courses on mathematics education research.