Mathematics home-school partnerships in diverse contexts

Abstract

The school and the home are both influential contexts in which a child learns mathematics, and therefore schools and families should work collaboratively to achieve shared goals for children’s mathematics learning. In culturally and linguistically diverse areas, schools have richness to draw on but may face additional challenges in engaging with parents from varying backgrounds. To understand these challenges, this study undertook a culturally focussed investigation of mathematics home-school partnerships within one diverse school in a low socio-economic area of Auckland, New Zealand. Teachers responded to a questionnaire, and focus group interviews were held with diverse groups of parents. Findings indicated tensions regarding differing mathematics pedagogies used at school and by parents and different desires around formal communication about mathematics learning. The diversity of the school generated further challenges because different parent groups dealt with the tensions in different ways. Knowing more about these parental approaches may help diverse schools to design programmes and craft communication that include more of their community in mathematics teaching and learning.