IMPACT Live!

Using the definition of political as "relating to the government or public affairs of the country", what is your response to the question(s) above? You can take the framing as you choose - it's an open discussion for us to consider the connection of what we do in the math classroom with the government or public affairs of the United States.

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Benjamin Aschenbrenner
Ivy Tech CC
East Chicago IN
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I would like to cite Povey and Zevenbergen (2008), who on their review of the field of mathematics education and society, stated that "researchers [of the field] understand mathematics education as being a profoundly political activity – political in the sense of being intimately bound up with issues of power, authority, and the legitimization of knowledge".
So, another question is: How do we legitimize the mathematical knowledge that must be delivered and mastered by our students in our classroom for equivalent classes at different college settings? Of course we have to cover the curriculum, but how we do it, it depends on our students' prior knowledge. And, I think, this is one way politics enters math ed, in the legitimization of mathematics knowledge every student must master at every step. It is their right to be provided with opportunities to learn it.

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Bukurie Gjoci
Assistant Professor
CUNY - LaGuardia CC
Long Islant City NY
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Thanks for jumping in on this discussion. I think that definition of "political" helps clarify what it means to say "Mathematics Education is political." I wonder if everyone could get on board with that or if some mathematics instructors would still bristle at that. I'm still hoping we may hear from someone with deeply held beliefs that math education should not be political. But then I guess "should not" and "is not" changes the meaning of that sentence. 
Your follow on question is a big and important question! How can we make space to have that conversation and where does the larger AMATYC community come in to play in having an opinion about that?

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Benjamin Aschenbrenner
Ivy Tech CC
East Chicago IN
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Original Message:
Sent: 06-10-2022 09:32:52
From: Bukurie Gjoci
Subject: IMPACT in Action - Is Mathematics (Education) (A)political?

I would like to cite Povey and Zevenbergen (2008), who on their review of the field of mathematics education and society, stated that "researchers [of the field] understand mathematics education as being a profoundly political activity – political in the sense of being intimately bound up with issues of power, authority, and the legitimization of knowledge".
So, another question is: How do we legitimize the mathematical knowledge that must be delivered and mastered by our students in our classroom for equivalent classes at different college settings? Of course we have to cover the curriculum, but how we do it, it depends on our students' prior knowledge. And, I think, this is one way politics enters math ed, in the legitimization of mathematics knowledge every student must master at every step. It is their right to be provided with opportunities to learn it.

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Bukurie Gjoci
Assistant Professor
CUNY - LaGuardia CC
Long Islant City NY
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Yes, mathematics education is definitely political. Legislatures all over the country have been meddling in requirements for developmental education for decades now. However, it's not just math. It used to be primarily math, sometimes English, but now this politicization has spilled over into other subject areas and even just the purpose and structure of higher education itself. 

Is mathematics political is a different question altogether. It can be used in politics and is, daily, but I don't think it is inherently political.

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Johanna Debrecht
Mathematics Department Chair / Assistant Professor
Red Rocks CC / Northern VA CC
Lakewood CO
johanna.debrecht@rrcc.edu
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