Justice-Centered Mathematics Teaching

A special issue of Education Sciences (ISSN 2227-7102).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2025) | Viewed by 4900

Special Issue Editors

Associate Professor, Department of Teaching and Learning, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV 89154, USA
Interests: mathematics education; social justice mathematics; healing-informed pedagogies; critical consciousness; teacher activism

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Guest Editor
Assistant Professor, School of Education, Howard University, Washington, DC 20059, USA
Interests: statistics and data science education; mathematical sociology; contextual probability

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Many mathematics education researchers and educators are committed to studying and implementing justice-oriented and critical pedagogies in classroom settings. Various frameworks describe the development of critical orientations in mathematical contexts, yet our field can benefit from scholarship that shares useful insights for mathematics educators’ actualization of critical pedagogy. In this Special Issue, we invite authors to focus on and examine the legacy, enactment, and praxis of critical pedagogy in mathematics teaching and learning. By doing so, we invite authors to examine the various ways that classroom-based educators continue to expand how students learn to “read and write the world” with mathematics (Gutstein, 2006).

Critical pedagogies implemented in mathematical contexts have been referenced by many terms, such as teaching mathematics for social justice (e.g., Bartell, 2013; Buenrostro, 2016; Esmonde, 2014; Gonzalez, 2009; Gregson, 2013; Harper, 2019; Harper and Kudaisi, 2023; Larnell et al., 2016; Leonard et al., 2010; Pinheiro and Chávez, 2023; Pinheiro et al., 2023; Rubel et al., 2016; Suh et al., 2023; Wager and Stinson, 2012), social justice mathematics (e.g., Aguirre et al., 2019; Felton-Koestler, 2017; Kokka, 2022; Lee-Hassan, 2023), critical mathematics (e.g., Brantlinger, 2007; Gutiérrez, R. J., 2013; Frankenstein, 1983; Skovsmose, 1994), and teaching mathematics for spatial justice (e.g., Rubel et al., 2016, 2017), to name a few. These justice-centered approaches to mathematics education focus on dismantling interlocking systems of oppression, such as white supremacy, cisheteropatriachy, ableism, imperialism, capitalism, and so forth (e.g., hooks, 2010), to take action toward justice and may include healing-centered approaches that attend to students’ emotions (e.g., Kokka, 2019, 2022). In this Special Issue, we seek articles that investigate justice-centered mathematics education across a variety of contexts, grade levels, locations, places, and spaces.

Specifically, we seek papers (especially empirical articles) that will advance readers’ understanding of justice-oriented mathematics, inclusive of, but not limited to, articles that:

  • Investigate how teachers navigate tensions when attempting to teach mathematics for social justice;
  • Examine student responses to social justice mathematics lessons;
  • Center students’ knowledge and leadership;
  • Offer meaningful implications for classroom teachers of mathematics;
  • Offer meaningful implications for mathematics teacher leaders and coaches;
  • Offer meaningful implications for mathematics teacher educators;
  • Offer meaningful implications for mathematics educators working in increasingly politicized, hostile climates;
  • Aim to support mathematics educators and students to dismantle systems of oppression;
  • Offer meaningful insights about students taking action;
  • Offer meaningful insights about mathematics teachers taking action outside the classroom;
  • Share innovative approaches that challenge and/or move conceptions of justice-oriented mathematics forward.

We are particularly interested in scholarship from authors of minoritized and marginalized backgrounds. We look forward to reading your submissions.

References

Aguirre, J. M., Anhalt, C. O., Cortez, R., Turner, E. E., & Simic-Muller, K. (2019). Engaging teachers in the powerful combination of mathematical modeling and social justice: The Flint water task. Mathematics Teacher Educator, 7(2), 7-26.

Bartell, T. G. (2013). Learning to teach mathematics for social justice: Negotiating social justice and mathematical goals. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 44(1), 129-163.

Brantlinger, A.(2007). Geometries of Inequality: Teaching and researching critical mathematics in a low-income urban high school. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL.

Buenrostro, P. M. (2016). Humanizing Mathematics: Students' Perspectives on Learning Math for Social Justice (Doctoral dissertation, University of Illinois at Chicago).

d'Ambrosio, U. (1985). Ethnomathematics and its place in the history and pedagogy of mathematics. For the learning of Mathematics, 5(1), 44-48.

Esmonde, I. (2014). “Nobody’s rich and nobody’s poor . . . it sounds good, but it’s actually not”: Affluent students learning mathematics and social justice. Journal of the Learning Sciences, 23(3), 348–391. https://doi.org/10.1080/10508406.2013.847371

Felton-Koestler, M. D. (2017). Mathematics education as sociopolitical: prospective teachers’ views of the What, Who, and How. Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, 20, 49-74.

Frankenstein,  M.  (1983).  Critical  mathematics  education:  An  application  of  Paulo  Freire‘s epistemology. Journal of Education, 165(4), 315–359.

Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed (M. B. Ramos, Trans.). Herder and Herder.

Gonzalez, L. (2009). Teaching mathematics for social justice: Reflections on a community of practice for urban high school mathematics teachers.

Gregson, S. A. (2013). Negotiating social justice teaching: One full-time teacher’s practice viewed from the trenches. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 44(1), 164–198. https://doi.org/10.5951/jresematheduc.44.1.0164.

Gutiérrez, R. J. (2013). Building" consciousness and legacies": Integrating community, critical, and classical knowledge bases in a precalculus class. The University of Arizona.

Gutstein, E. (2006). Reading and writing the world with mathematics: Toward a pedagogy for social justice. Routledge.

Harper, F. K. (2019). A qualitative metasynthesis of teaching mathematics for social justice in action: Pitfalls and promises of practice. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 50(3), 268–310. https://doi.org/10.5951/jresematheduc.50.3.0268

Harper, F. K., & Kudaisi, Q. J. (2023). Geometry, groceries, and gardens: Learning mathematics and social justice through a nested, equity-directed instructional approach. The Journal of Mathematical Behavior, 71, 101069.

hooks, b. (2010). Understanding patriarchy. Louisville Anarchist Federation Federation. http://imaginenoborders.org/pdf/zines/UnderstandingPatriarchy.pdf.

Kokka, K. (2019). Healing-Informed Social Justice Mathematics: Promoting Students’ Sociopolitical Consciousness and Well-Being in Mathematics Class. Urban Education, 54(9), 1179-1209. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042085918806947.

Kokka, K. (2022). Toward a theory of affective pedagogical goals for social justice mathematics. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 53(2), 133-153.

Larnell, G. V., Bullock, E. C., & Jett, C. C. (2016). Rethinking teaching and learning mathematics for social justice from a critical race perspective. Journal of Education, 196(1), 19-29. 

Lee-Hassan, A. W. (2023). No Simple Formula: Navigating Tensions in Teaching Postsecondary Social Justice Mathematics. Journal of Humanistic Mathematics, 13(2), 151-160.

Leonard, J., Brooks, W., Barnes-Johnson, J., & Berry III, R. Q. (2010). The nuances and complexities of teaching mathematics for cultural relevance and social justice. Journal of Teacher Education, 61(3), 261-270.

Pinheiro, W. A., & Chávez, R. (2023). Queer high school students’ takeaways from the teaching of mathematics for social justice. Proceedings: 45th Annual Meeting of the Psychology in Mathematics Education North America Conference.

Pinheiro, W. A., Velasco, R., & Childers, G. (2023). Developing a Teaching of Mathematics for Social Justice Survey. Proceedings: 12th International Conference of Mathematics Education and Society.

Powell, A. B., & Frankenstein, M. (Eds.). (1997). Ethnomathematics: Challenging Eurocentrism in mathematics education. State University of New York Press.

Rubel, L. H., Hall-Wieckert, M., & Lim, V. Y. (2016). Teaching mathematics for spatial justice: Beyond a victory narrative. Harvard Educational Review, 86(4), 556–579. https://doi.org/10.17763/1943-5045-86.4.556.

Rubel, L. H., Hall-Wieckert, M., & Lim, V. Y. (2017). Making space for place: Mapping tools and practices to teach for spatial justice. Journal of the Learning Sciences, 26(4), 643-687.

Skovsmose, O. (1994). Towards a Critical Mathematics Education. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 27(1), 35–57. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3482665.

Suh, J. M., Tate, H., Rossbach, M., Green, S., Matson, K., Aguirre, J., Seshaiyer, P., & Steen, S. (2023). Dilemmas and Design Principles in Planning for Justice-Oriented Community-Based Mathematical Modeling Lessons. Mathematics Teacher Educator, 11(3), 210-230.

Wager, A. A., & Stinson, D. W. (Eds.). (2012). Teaching mathematics for social justice: Conversations with educators. National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

Dr. Kari Kokka
Dr. Nathan Alexander
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • mathematics education
  • teaching mathematics for social justice
  • social justice mathematics
  • critical pedagogy
  • racial justice
  • social justice education
  • healing-centered education
  • student agency

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 288 KB  
Article
Practicing and Future Secondary Teachers’ Challenges with Designing Mathematics for Social Justice Lesson Plans
by Queshonda J. Kudaisi and Karisma Morton
Educ. Sci. 2025, 15(10), 1313; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15101313 - 3 Oct 2025
Viewed by 221
Abstract
We build on previous studies that explore the challenges faced by current and future teachers as they learn to teach mathematics for social justice by focusing on a precursor to teaching lessons, that is, the process of lesson design. Specifically, in this study [...] Read more.
We build on previous studies that explore the challenges faced by current and future teachers as they learn to teach mathematics for social justice by focusing on a precursor to teaching lessons, that is, the process of lesson design. Specifically, in this study we investigate the challenges that current and future teachers identify in their design of lessons and how they navigate those challenges. Using deductive analysis, we examine the written reflections of 11 current and future teachers enrolled in a secondary mathematics methods course in the spring of 2021. Findings indicate that participants experienced challenges in the cognitive, affective, social, and structural domains and resolved those challenges utilizing social, affective, and cognitive resolutions. These findings inform the field of mathematics teacher education by identifying areas where current and future teachers may need support in their design of social justice mathematics lessons. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Justice-Centered Mathematics Teaching)
25 pages, 480 KB  
Article
Mathematics as a Discursively Exclusionary Discipline to Queer Subjectivity: A Perspective Through Teaching Mathematics for Social Justice
by Weverton Ataide Pinheiro
Educ. Sci. 2025, 15(9), 1116; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15091116 - 27 Aug 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1813
Abstract
In this article, I explore the experiences of queer high school students in the context of Teaching Mathematics for Social Justice (TMSJ) regarding the injustices of bullying and harassment queer individuals go through in society. Specifically, I aim to investigate queer students’ perceptions [...] Read more.
In this article, I explore the experiences of queer high school students in the context of Teaching Mathematics for Social Justice (TMSJ) regarding the injustices of bullying and harassment queer individuals go through in society. Specifically, I aim to investigate queer students’ perceptions of mathematics and their mathematical subjectivity in the context of TMSJ. Drawing on interviews with ten queer high school students, the interpretations of their experiences reveal that traditional mathematics instruction is often perceived as procedural and disconnected from real-world issues, contributing to queer students’ lack of interest in and sense of irrelevance regarding mathematics. However, TMSJ provided an opportunity for students to engage with mathematics through issues important to them, fostering positive discourses about their experiences in mathematics through TMSJ. Students highlighted the significance of connecting mathematics to their lived experiences and subjectivity, which enhanced their engagement and partially reshaped their mathematical subjectivity. In this paper, I underscore the importance of bringing arts, history, discussions, and non-European mathematics among other things to make mathematics a space of social relevance to queer subjectivity. In addition, I discuss the importance of bringing intersectional approaches that integrate queer perspectives into mathematics education to create inclusive learning environments. I end this article by calling for further research into how other aspects of identity, such as race, class, and ability, intersect with queer students’ experiences in mathematics. These interpretations contribute to the growing body of work advocating for transformative, equity-oriented mathematics education, especially concerning queer students. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Justice-Centered Mathematics Teaching)
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19 pages, 375 KB  
Article
“I Always Thought Math Was Just Numbers”: Developing Mathematics Teaching Through Integration of Multicultural Children’s Literature and Social Justice
by Rosa D. Chávez
Educ. Sci. 2025, 15(9), 1097; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15091097 - 25 Aug 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 671
Abstract
This qualitative study examines how teacher candidates in one mathematics methods course negotiated curriculum integration of mathematics with social justice through the use of multicultural children’s literature. Drawing on multiple sources of data including teacher candidate selection process of the literature, lesson plans [...] Read more.
This qualitative study examines how teacher candidates in one mathematics methods course negotiated curriculum integration of mathematics with social justice through the use of multicultural children’s literature. Drawing on multiple sources of data including teacher candidate selection process of the literature, lesson plans artifacts, and reflection essays, this study explores how teacher candidates balanced competing learning goals when developing an integrated unit. The findings from this study reveal that while this process of planning was challenging for many teacher candidates, the results show that when mathematics is grounded in a culturally relevant context, students are more engaged and are able to connect mathematical learning to real-world and useful meaningful applications in their lived experiences. Additionally, teacher candidates were able to develop a broader conception of mathematics teaching, underscoring the value that a focus on social justice can have not just on student learning but on teacher professional development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Justice-Centered Mathematics Teaching)
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17 pages, 523 KB  
Article
They’re Taking Our Money: Building on the Dialectics of Political and Mathematical Knowledge to Write the World
by Patricia M. Buenrostro
Educ. Sci. 2025, 15(7), 894; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15070894 - 13 Jul 2025
Viewed by 1060
Abstract
Justice-oriented mathematics aims to support students’ understanding of the relationship between mathematical knowledge and political knowledge to examine how they conspire to shape reality. The notion of the formatting power of mathematics is helpful here in that it calls for an excavation of [...] Read more.
Justice-oriented mathematics aims to support students’ understanding of the relationship between mathematical knowledge and political knowledge to examine how they conspire to shape reality. The notion of the formatting power of mathematics is helpful here in that it calls for an excavation of mathematics that makes explicit the actual use of mathematics hidden in social structures and routines. In this paper, the author examines how a mathematical unit on home mortgages was carried out to support 12th grade students’ understanding of the mathematics of mortgages, revealing the formatting power that mortgage lenders hold in reordering the reality of marginalized communities. Drawing on a qualitative analysis of student journals, student work, post-class student interviews, and teacher/researcher journals, the findings revealed two pedagogical features that contributed to students’ reading and writing the world with mathematics: engaging mathematics from multiple directions and attending to the formatting power of the mathematical and political knowledge dialectic. These findings offer pedagogical guidance for practitioners and teacher educators in curriculum design and implementation of critical mathematics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Justice-Centered Mathematics Teaching)
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