Mathematical Discourse that Breaks Barriers and Creates Space for Marginalized Learners

Book excerpt: For the past decade reform efforts have placed importance on all students being able to participate in collaborative and productive mathematical discourse as an essential component for their learning of mathematics with deep conceptual understandings. In this book our intent is to support mathematics education researchers, teacher educators, teachers and policy makers in providing positive solutions to the enduring challenge in mathematics education of enabling all participants including diverse students to equitably access mathematical discourse. By diverse learners we mean learners who are minoritized in terms of gender, disability, or/and social, cultural, ethnic, racial or language backgrounds. We aim to increase understanding about what it means to imagine, design and engage with policy and practice which enhance opportunities for all students to participate in productive mathematical discourse. In widening the lens across policy and practice settings we recognize the interplay between the many complex factors that influence student participation in mathematics. The various chapters tell practical stories of equitable practices for diverse learners within a range of different contexts. Different research perspectives, empirical traditions, and conceptual foci are presented in each chapter. Various aspects of diversity are raised, issues of concern are engaged with, and at times conventional wisdom challenged as the authors provide insights as to how educators may address issues of equitable access of minoritized learners to the mathematical discourse within settings across early primary through to high school, and situated in schools or in family and community settings.