Critical Mathematics Education: Bridging Theory, Practice, and Social Change

Dear Colleagues,

Critical mathematics education (CME) accentuates the social, political, and ethical dimensions of mathematics and challenges the traditional views of the discipline as a neutral and objective field of study. Rather, CME holds that mathematics is deeply entangled with societal structures, power relations, and cultural values. Pivotal aspects of CME include the following:

• Illumination of social justice issues to address inequalities and injustices in society by developing students’ awareness of the ways in which mathematics is used to maintain or challenge power dynamics, such as in politics, economics, or environmental issues;
• Empowerment of students, particularly those from marginalized communities, to use mathematics as a vehicle for understanding and effecting positive change in the world;
• Encouragement of students to use mathematics for critical purposes (e.g., examining data critically, questioning mathematical modelling assumptions, and understanding how mathematical models influence decision-making and policy formulation), rather than solely for technical problem-solving;
• Challenging dominant narratives in mathematics education, which have the potential to exclude diverse cultural perspectives or reinforce stereotypical views about what it means to be “good” at mathematics and who is “good” at the discipline.

This Special Issue seeks to make further innovative contributions to the field of CME, and we invite original research articles or reviews which align with this objective. Potential topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Practical implementation of CME strategies: how CME can be implemented in diverse educational contexts and successfully integrated into standard curricula and assessment systems without forfeiting its critical dimension, appropriate teacher training, and professional development in CME;
• Cultural and contextual relevance to CME: how CME can be adapted to non-Western or indigenous contexts, how to adapt the principles of CME to empower students from different types of marginalized communities (e.g., based on race, gender, socioeconomic status, or disability status), and how various forms of oppression and inequality intersect with mathematical learning;
• Student outcomes and impact of CME: how to gauge the effectiveness of CME;
• Integration of CME with other disciplines: the optimal ways to integrate mathematics with subjects such as history, politics, economics, or environmental science in a manner that preserves the rigour of the individual disciplines but also addresses critical social issues;
• Technology and CME: the role of CME in preparing students to critically assess algorithms, data collection, or AI systems that impact on social justice issues, and the role of technology in facilitating critical mathematical inquiry;
• Student agency and voice in CME: how students from different backgrounds perceive and engage with CME, and how students view their own agency and capacity to use mathematics as a tool to effect social change;
• Policy and institutional barriers to the implementation of CME: how educational policies and contemporary approaches to standardized testing may hinder or support the implementation of CME, how to advocate for policies that accommodate the broader goals of CME while still satisfying the demands of national education systems, the navigation of institutional constraints, overcoming resistance, and engaging policymakers, administrators and parents in supporting CME approaches.

Dr. Ian Cantley
Guest Editor

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