3487

Suman Ghosh

philosophy of mathematics education

2020

36

Critical Mathematics , Teachers’ Beliefs , Critically Informed Citizens

The study outlines what motivates some secondary mathematics teachers to develop critically informed citizens in the mathematics classroom. Data was collected through eight semi-structured interviews which outlined the teachers’ own experiences and pedagogical approaches relating to developing students as critically informed citizens in the secondary mathematics classroom. An adapted version of Ernest’s model of mathematics-related belief systems was used as card sort pro‎mp‎ts for the interview. The same model was also used to analyse the interview data and identify what motivated teachers to take this pedagogical approach. Evidence from the study suggests that teachers from diverse mathematical beliefs and academic backgrounds are motivated to develop students into informed citizens in the mathematics classroom because they have an underlying concern for the student. This underlying concern is not necessarily reflected in the teacher’s mathematical belief system.