Mentors Expressing What They Value Through Their Writings: Emphasizing the Person in Mathematics

Abstract

Purpose: This article identifies an issue in mathematics education, that is, the perceived lack of emphasis in recent times of the roles that the “person” plays in the development of mathematics. The purpose is to examine how values/valuing might contribute to addressing the issue. Design/Approach/Methods: “Data” were collected from several purposeful conversations among the three authors. The conversations were audio-recorded and machine-transcribed. The transcript was then subjected to content analysis to identify themes. Findings: The data analysis yielded two novel approaches to raising learners’ awareness of the humanness of mathematics. One would be to reframe the values that are operationalized when mathematics is taught and learnt, as processes of valuing which teachers and students engage in, respectively. The second approach would be to acknowledge that writers of mathematics/mathematicians are not simply presenting knowledge but are also acting as mentors conveying and transmitting messages about the discipline. Originality/Value: The involvement of the “person” in the development of mathematics is not new knowledge, though it can be made more visible in mathematics education. This article identifies two approaches—valuing and mentoring—which are novel in that they are already part of the pedagogical process and thus, accessible.