Diversity in Mathematics Education : Towards Inclusive Practices

This book presents a research focus on diversity and inclusivity in mathematics education. The challenge of diversity, largely in terms of student profiles or contextual features, is endemic in mathematics education, and is often argued to require differentiation as a response. Typically different curricula, text materials, task structures or pedagogies are favoured responses, but huge differences in achievement still result. If we in mathematics education seek to challenge that status quo, more research must be focussed not just on diversity but also on the inclusivity, of practices in mathematics education.

The book is written by a group of experienced collaborating researchers who share this focus. It is written for researchers, research students, teachers and in-service professionals, who recognise both the challenges but also the opportunities of creating and evaluating new inclusive approaches to curriculum and pedagogy – ones that take for granted the positive values of diversity. Several chapters report new research in this direction.

The authors are part of, or have visited with, the mathematics education staff of the Faculty of Education at Monash University, in Melbourne, Australia. The chapters all focus on the ideas of development in both research and practice, recognising that the current need is for new inclusive approaches. The studies presented are set in different contexts, including Australia, China, the United States, and Singapore.

Emeritus Professor Alan Bishop was Professor of Education and Associate Dean at Monash University between 1992-2002 after spending the earlier part of his life in the UK. He edited (from 1978 to 1990) the international research journal Educational Studies in Mathematics, published by Kluwer (now Springer), and he is Managing Editor of the research book series Mathematics Education Library, also published by Springer (1980 - present). He was the Chief Editor of two International Handbooks of Mathematics Education (1996 and 2002) published by Springer, and joint Editor of the Third International Handbook of Mathematics Education (2012) also published by Springer. He was the sole Editor of the Handbook on Mathematics Education, published by Routledge (2003).

Hazel Tan is a lecturer in the Faculty of Education at Monash University. She has recently completed her PhD investigating factors influencing senior secondary mathematics students’ interactions with advanced calculators. She has taught senior secondary mathematics for many years, and was the Head of Mathematics Department in a Singaporean school. Hazel has also worked in the Educational Technology Division of Singapore’s Ministry of Education, spearheading the pedagogical use of technologies in education. Her research interests are in the area of teaching and learning secondary mathematics with technologies and related teacher education, comparative education and gender issues in mathematics education.

Anastasios N. Barkatsas is a Senior Lecturer, Master of Teaching Practice (Secondary) Program Manager and Graduate Diploma in Education (Primary) Program Director, at the School of Education, RMIT University, Australia. He has been a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Educational Research of the Hellenic Republic (Greece) and a Senior Research Fellow at the Pedagogical Institute (now the Institute for Educational Policy) of the Hellenic Republic. He has also been a Visiting Scholar and Adjunct Professor at the National University of Athens. Dr Barkatsas was the Statistical Advisor for Higher Degrees by Research at the Faculty of Education, Monash University, 2011-2013 and he is interested in applications of multivariate statistics in education. He is currently the Chief Quantitative Analyst for the WIFI study of the ‘Third Wave Project’, an international research consortium which coordinates research studies into the harnessing of values in mathematics education. Dr Barkatsas has also been Head of Mathematics, Science and IT, Head of Curriculum, Deputy Principal and Acting Principal in various secondary Colleges in Melbourne. Dr Barkatsas has published numerous international journal articles, books, book chapters, and refereed conference papers. He is an Editorial Board member and Special Quantitative Research and Statistical Modelling Advisor, Journal of International Research in Early Childhood Education (IRECE) and an Editorial Board Member, GAZI Journal of Education (GAZIJE).