Locating Praxis for Equity in Mathematics

Abstract

In this article, the authors report on a study that contributes to a growing body of literature that considers professional development (PD) focused on mathematics and equity. The authors examined how lived experiences provide a foundation for the ways teachers take up equity in their mathematics teaching practice. The constructs of praxis and figured worlds are used to frame the study. In particular, teachers’ identities in the figured worlds of standards-based mathematics, multicultural education, and equitable mathematics pedagogy were explored with a focus on how they contributed to where the teachers located praxis for equity in mathematics. The teachers’ lived experiences and their participation in the PD were analyzed with an eye toward teachers’ evolving identities and how they contribute to where teachers located praxis.