How mothers’ mathematical positioning relates to their images of mathematics and interactions with children

Abstract

Few studies have considered the relationship between what families recognize as mathematical and their mathematical identities despite attention to forms of informal mathematical learning. The trends in what goes unrecognized as mathematical for families reflect larger societal expectations about who and what can count as mathematics, rendering mathematical practices at home invisible. Limited views of mathematics as centered in school and tied to algorithms lead many rich and informal practices to go unrecognized by families, contributing to negative images of their mathematical selves. This study looks at the practices and activities mothers engage in with their young children that involve mathematics, specifically focusing on how they frame mathematics and their activity within it.