Based on a survey of 150 respondents and 16 timeline interviews with first-year university mathematics students in Sweden, we explore how the material resources and conditions available to them —mathematics capital— connect to their mathematical identities. We found that mathematics capital has bearing on how early in life students start to consider doing mathematics. We also found individually different trajectories among students with low mathematics capital into university mathematics. The study expands both existing theoretical and methodological ways of researching the material bearings of identity and opens up for new ways of understanding and exploring the conditions that may facilitate access to participation and success in university mathematics. It contributes to understanding on the social and cultural resources that students bring with them to start mathematics, thus complementing the insights that Simon Goodchild’s work had provided on the context of access to university mathematics.

Between 2013 and 2018, the Brazilian National Textbook Program evaluated and distributed mathematics textbooks for the countryside population in Brazil. We analysed ten textbooks of this program. From a Foucaultian perspective, textbooks can be conceived as a power technology for governing population to make them types of people. Through a discourse analysis, two statements in the textbooks were identified: the peasant lives an idyllic lifestyle and mathematics supports that life; and the peasant must use mathematics to change the traditional lifestyle into a modernized and effective form of life. Textbooks use images and contexts of traditional countryside lifestyle to present mathematical activities. School mathematics, as articulated in the textbooks, plays an important role in peasant subjectivation processes, being a powerful tool of validation for the need to adopt modern production. Therefore, the notion of citizenship in the countryside context embodies practices to bring solutions to local and global problems, feeding the individual with responsibilities in governing one through the good and better path for himself, his family, his community and his world. The notion of a modernized peasant-citizen is built through the connection between local knowledge and practices, reorganized by mathematical tools and arguments to connect with modernized, global productive practices.

In a mathematical educational context, mathematical word problems are an established practice with the aim to connect to students’ everyday life. Drawing on Neo-material perspectives and art-based research methods we explore collage as a way to critically engage with illustrated mathematical word problems. We challenge the view of mathematical knowledge production as an objective, value-neutral and disembodied process by performing agential cuts with(in) illustrated mathematical word problems from two Swedish mathematical textbooks. The perspectives and methods mobilize sensibilities that advance new points of views. Hence, contributing to broaden the range of qualitative research methods and paradigms studying mathematical word problems. 

Em um contexto educacional matemático, os problemas matemáticos com palavras são uma prática estabelecida com o objetivo de se conectar à vida cotidiana dos alunos. Com base nas perspectivas neomateriais e nos métodos de pesquisa baseados em arte, exploramos a colagem como uma forma de nos envolvermos criticamente com problemas matemáticos ilustrados. Desafiamos a visão da produção de conhecimento matemático como um processo objetivo, neutro em termos de valor e sem corpo, realizando cortes agenciais com problemas matemáticos ilustrados de dois livros didáticos de matemática suecos. As perspectivas e os métodos mobilizam sensibilidades que promovem novos pontos de vista. Assim, contribuindo para ampliar a gama de métodos e paradigmas de pesquisa qualitativa que estudam problemas matemáticos com palavras. 

En un contexto educativo matemático, los problemas de palabra son una práctica establecida y con el objetivo de conectar con la vida cotidiana de los estudiantes. Basándonos en perspectivas de nuevos materialismos y métodos de investigación basados en el arte, exploramos el collage como una forma de participar críticamente con problemas de palabras matemáticos ilustrados. Cuestionamos la visión de la producción de conocimiento matemático como un proceso objetivo, de valor neutral e incorpóreo, mediante el uso de cortes agenciales con(en) problemas de palabras matemáticos ilustrados de dos libros matemáticos de Suecia. Las perspectivas y métodos movilizan sensibilidades para ver nuevos puntos de vista. Por lo tanto, contribuye a ampliar la gama de métodos y paradigmas de investigación cualitativa que estudian los problemas de palabras matemáticos. 

This contribution seeks to understand how teacher educators, both school-based mentors and university-based teachers, take on the multiple institutional and professional tensions involved in the practicum of mathematics student teachers. We use the notion of confession and turn the gaze on narratives from our own practices in Sweden and Brazil. This shows how desires to both safeguard authority and show care and concern for student teachers are shared, whilst political and digital surveillance increase the tensions.

Le sujet de cet article est de comprendre comment des personnes qui sont professeurs et éducateurs, mentors de stagiaires de professeur d'école et professeurs d’universités, prennent en considération les tensions institutionnelles et professionnelles liées à la pratique d'étudiants en stage pour devenir professeur de mathématiques. Ici, nous utilisons la notion de confession, et plaçons notre attention sur nos propres expériences de pratiques en Suède et au Brésil. Cette analyse montre que le désir de sauvegarder l'autorité et en même temps de se montrer attentif et concerné par les stagiaires est partagé, alors même que la surveillance politique et digitale augmente les tensions.

Early algebraic thinking can be connected in significant ways to sustainability issues through algebraic wicked problems (AWP). AWP are problems that mobilize children to think algebraically while experiencing dilemmas on values at stake in sustainability. Both algebraic thinking and sustainability issues become inseparably connected. From an ongoing analysis of 10 research group meetings over a school year in a group consisting of teachers, pre-service teachers, and researchers, and based on observed lessons, we explore such dilemmas as a central characteristic of AWP. This provides details into what may be important aspects in the further design of AWPs.

In the encounters between researchers interested in doing a literature review about feminist research with(in) mathematics education, a problematization of literature review methodologies in mathematics education was set in motion. Driven by the desire to have the literature review as a constitutive part of the research process, we create a circulation zone between a commonly used literature review method, the systematic literature review, and what we are calling here a feminist literature review. We argue that conventional literature review methods carry strong theoretical assumptions, many of which align with quantitative-positivist research approaches. These often conflict with the theoretical-methodological assumptions of the researchers who adopt them, as in our case, specifically with the feminist perspective guiding our research. We thus propose a feminist literature review, not merely as a review of feminist research in Mathematics Education, but as the mobilization of feminist theoretical-methodological concepts within the literature review process. This includes concepts such as situated knowledge and affect as apparatuses for engaging with/in the phenomenon while relating to the literature. In this way, the literature review process can be seen-sensed as an important terrain to create relationships-encounters with both research and researchers, while recognizing the agentic force of the literature on us. It allows us to come closer to different ways of knowing-doing research in entanglement with the literature,mathematical practices, feminisms, humans and non-humans, languages, search engines, and so on. In this terrain, we affect and are affected by literature, and its encounters open up new directions-connections that allow us to move away from existing patriarchal, excluding norms in academia.

Em encontros entre pesquisadoras interessadas em revisar a literatura de pesquisas feministas com/na Educação Matemática, emerge-se um processo de problematização dos métodos de revisão de literatura comumente utilizados na Educação Matemática. Guiadas pelo desejo de tomar a revisão de literatura enquanto uma parte constitutiva do fazer pesquisa, criamos uma zona de circulação entre um método de revisão de literatura comumente utilizado em nossa comunidade, qual seja a revisão de literatura sistemática, e o que estamos chamando aqui de revisão feminista de literatura. Nosso argumento é de que métodos convencionais de revisão de literatura carregam consigo fortes pressupostos teóricos, muitos dos quais estão alinhados com abordagens quantitativas-positivistas de pesquisa que muitas vezes vão em direções opostas dos pressupostos teórico-metodológicos das pesquisadoras e dos pesquisadores que os adotam, assim como em nosso caso, especificamente a perspectiva feminista que guia nossa pesquisa. Nós propomos então uma revisão feminista de literatura, não como meramente uma revisão de literatura de pesquisas feministas na educação matemática, mas como a mobilização de conceitos teórico-metodológicos feministas no processo de revisão de literatura, como conhecimentos situados e afeto como dispositivo para se operar com/no fenômeno ao se relacionar com a literatura. Desse modo, o processo de revisão de literatura pode ser pensado-sentido como um importante terreno para se criar relações-encontros com ambos pesquisas e pesquisadoras(es), enquanto reconhecemos o potencial de agência que a literatura tem com a gente. Assim, nos aproximamos de outros modos de conhecer-fazer pesquisa em educação matemática, em emaranhamentos com a literatura, práticas matemáticas, feminismos,humanos e não humanos, linguagens, mecanismos de busca, entre outros. Nesse terreno, afetamos e somos afetadas pela literatura, e esses encontros abrem novas direções-conexões que nos permitem nos movimentar em direções outras de normas excludentes e patriarcais da academia.

En encuentros entre investigadoras interesadas en revisar la literatura de investigaciones feministas con/en la Educación Matemática, emerge un proceso de problematización de los métodos de revisión de literatura comúnmente utilizados en esta área. Guiadas por el deseo de considerar la revisión de literatura como una parte constitutiva del hacer investigación, creamos una zona de circulación entre un método de revisión de literatura común en nuestra comunidad, la revisión sistemática de literatura, y lo que aquí denominamos revisión feminista de literatura. Nuestro argumento es que los métodos convencionales de revisión de literatura llevan consigo fuertes presupuestos teóricos, muchos de los cuales están alineados con enfoques cuantitativos-positivistas que a menudo se contraponen a los marcos teórico-metodológicos de quienes los adoptan. Este es también nuestro caso, particularmente con la perspectiva feminista que guía nuestra investigación. Por ello, proponemos una revisión feminista de literatura, no como una simple revisión de investigaciones feministas en la Educación Matemática, sino como la movilización de conceptos teórico-metodológicos feministas en el proceso de revisión de literatura, tales como los conocimientos situados y el afecto como dispositivos para operar con/en el fenómeno al relacionarnos con la literatura. De esta manera, el proceso de revisión de literatura puede ser pensado-sentido como un terreno crucial para crear relaciones-encuentros con investigaciones e investigadores, reconociendo al mismo tiempo el potencial de agencia que la literatura ejerce sobre nosotras. Esto nos permite aproximarnos a otras formas de conocer-hacer investigación en Educación Matemática, enredándonos con la literatura, las prácticas matemáticas, los feminismos, los agentes humanos y no humanos, los lenguajes, los motores de búsqueda, entre otros. En este terreno, afectamos y somos afectadas por la literatura, y estos encuentros abren nuevas direcciones-conexiones que nos permiten movernos hacia horizontes distintos de las normas excluyentes y patriarcales de la academia.

In university mathematics education, students do not simply learn mathematics but are shaped and shape themselves into someone new—mathematicians. In this study, we focus on the becoming of disabled mathematical subjects. We explore the importance of abilities in the processes of being and becoming in university mathematics. Our interest lies in how teaching and assessment practices provide students with ways to understand themselves as both able and disabled, as disabilities are only understood with respect to the norm. We analyse narratives of nine university students diagnosed with learning disabilities or mental health issues to investigate how their subjectivity is constituted in discourse. Our analysis shows how the students are shaped and shape themselves as disabled mathematicians in relation to speed in mathematical activities, disaffection in mathematics, individualism in performing mathematics, and measurability of performance. These findings cast light on the ableist underpinnings of the teaching and assessment practices in university mathematics education. We contend that mathematical ableism forms a watershed for belonging in mathematics learning practices, constituting rather narrow, “normal” ways of being “mathematically able”. We also discuss how our participants challenge and widen the idea of an “able” mathematics student. We pave the way for more inclusive futures of mathematics education by suggesting that rather than understanding the “dis” in disability negatively, the university mathematics education communities may use dis by disrupting order. Perhaps, we ask, if university mathematics fails to enable accessible learning experiences for students who care about mathematics, these practices should indeed be disrupted.

The year 2020 was a year of social and political turmoil, exacerbated by the onset of a global pandemic. While it became necessary for mathematics educators to focus on the immediate challenges of “no business as usual” and the transition to online teaching and learning, many of these mathematics educators were also engaged in different struggles for equity and justice. Waves of social protest exploded as the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 made evident the multiple, intersecting forms of discrimination and marginalization that mostly affected—through death, illness, economic despair, and institutional violence—already oppressed people around the globe (Jason et al., 2024). In addition, the almost real-time, social media witnessing of the extrajudicial murder of American George Floyd on May 25, 2020, reminded people of ongoing state-sanctioned anti-Black violence in the United States of America and also cast light over similar events of police brutality against Black people in other geographies such as Brazil (e.g., Amnesty International, 2023), Colombia, New Zealand, France, and the UK (e.g., Silverstein, 2021). All these tragic events further fueled the Black Lives Matter movement, rekindled global concerns about racial justice, and served as a reminder that anti-Black racism, as one instantiation of racial oppression, is an ongoing, permanent feature not only of United States democracy but also of many other societies.

Drawing on autobiographical essays written by master’s students in mathematics preparing to become teachers, we investigate what mathematical identity these students articulate and how. By means of a discursive thematic analysis centered on the notion of ascesis, we show that the participants’ identity revolves around a characterization of mathematics as a challenging, useful, and comforting activity or knowledge, which is however regarded negatively by others. Indeed, mathematics is described as a uniquely challenging activity which requires an increasingly demanding self-discipline. Moreover, mathematics is depicted as a variously useful form of knowledge which is additionally capable to offer comfort to those who engage with it. However, the participants often remark that other people regard mathematics negatively, a fact explained by stressing others’ inability or unwillingness to understand or appreciate mathematics’ inherent positive features. This sets the boundary of an ideal club of math enthusiasts whose elitist membership is regulated in terms of acceptance or refusal of its constitutive values. Belonging to the club as well as proselytizing in order to recruit new members appears to be central to the participants’ mathematical identity.

The sociopolitical turn and increasing interest in the history of mathematics education have contextualized mathematics education practices in broader political projects and histories to problematize mathematics education research itself. Despite this problematization, and despite the centrality of the idea that research should improve practice to our field, the relationship between researchers and school teachers has not received much critical examination. To explore this issue, we investigate two progressive reforms advocating increased student agency against “traditional” or “rote” instruction. The Perry Movement and the New Math both occurred amid political shifts which influenced how academics envisioned “the child” as the target of curricular interventions and teacher education intended to increase students’ mathematical agency. We argue that through reforms, academics constituted and reconstituted the “child” as an abstract object of investigation through the privileging of scientific methods, curricular reforms, and conceptualization over teachers’ daily work at improving instruction. In this way, progressive reform movements displaced ownership of knowledge about children’s mathematical learning from teachers to researchers, invisibilizing teachers’ labor and expertise. We point to enduring consequences of the reallocation of knowledge about teaching from teachers to academics.