Journal of Urban Mathematics Education (May 2022)
Mathematic Lesson Design for English Learners Versus Non-English Learners From Perspectives of Equity and Intersection
Abstract
Calls for “mathematics for all” or “mathematics for social justice” bring light to the importance of equity issues within and through mathematics education. Employing the theoretical perspectives of equity and social justice for mathematics education, and the intersection of language, culture, and mathematics, this study examined how a group of in-service teachers working in inner-city settings designed mathematics tasks and strategies for English Learners (EL) in comparison with non-ELs. The data, 23 sets of lesson design responding to two learner profiles, was analyzed using inductive content analysis. Findings suggest that meaningful opportunities to learn the same mathematics concept were presented less often to ELs, who also were more likely to experience a lack of active participation and engagement than non-ELs. From the intersectional perspective, teachers heavily relied on ELs’ native language support rather than exploring the complexity of mathematical discourse. The lack of cultural integration in their lesson designs was also notable. These findings imply that the attention of mathematics education for ELs needs to be redirected from language support per se to the interplay between language, culture, and mathematical concepts in order to create a level playing field.
