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“They’re coming into school hungry, they’re not ready to learn”. Scottish teachers’ perceptions of marginalization in school mathematics

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posted on 2023-09-21, 10:20 authored by Constantinos Xenofontos, Sinem Hizli Alkan

In recent years, many studies have highlighted significant differences between the mathematical performances of white middle-class boys and several other groups of children with other demographic characteristics. The ways teachers perceive marginalization influence how they make sense of diverse classrooms and how they can actively support pupils from marginalized backgrounds. Discussions about who is marginalized in school mathematics vary across different countries. In Scotland, not least at the level of policymaking, marginalization is typically associated with social class and children’s socioeconomic backgrounds. The main aim of this paper is to explore Scottish teachers’ perceptions of the roots of marginalization in school mathematics. Participants were 29 teachers from different school levels (eight early-years, 11 primary, and 10 secondary teachers). Drawing on data from individual semi-structured interviews, our thematic analysis indicated that teachers’ responses mainly reflected the social-class/poverty discourse of policymakers, while very few recognized other marginalizing variables (for example, gender, English language competence). Yet, none of the teachers talked about how such variables may be interlinked. In conclusion, the intersectional character of marginalization (structural interplay of variables such as race, class gender, sexuality, disability etc.) needs to be promoted more explicitly in initial teacher education and continuous professional development programs.

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Refereed

  • Yes

Volume

18

Issue number

6

Page range

em2116-em2116

Publication title

Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education

ISSN

1305-8215

Publisher

Modestum Publishing Ltd

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  • Published version

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  • School of Education and Social Care Outputs

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