Building the mathematical capital of marginalised learners of mathematics

Abstract

Drawing on the work of Bourdieu, this paper challenges orthodoxies permeating mathematics education that reify the marginalisation of the most vulnerable groups of learners—remote Indigenous learners. This cohort of students are most at risk of underperforming in mathematics. Using Bourdieu’s theoretical constructs, data from a large national study are used to exemplify how teachers are adopting counter-hegemonic practices to reverse the trends in remote education provision in Australia. Using the specific example of language practices adopted across schools, it is shown how the linguistic habitus of Indigenous learners are being reshaped to support their learning of school mathematics.