Diversity in Mathematics Education

Emeritus Professor Alan Bishop was Professor of Education and Associate Dean at Monash University between 1992-2002 after spending the earlier part of his life in the UK. He edited (from 1978 to 1990) the international research journal Educational Studies in Mathematics, published by Kluwer (now Springer), and he is Managing Editor of the research book series Mathematics Education Library, also published by Springer (1980 - present). He was the Chief Editor of  two International Handbooks of Mathematics Education (1996 and 2002) published by Springer, and joint Editor of the Third International Handbook of Mathematics Education (2012) also published by Springer. He was the sole Editor of the Handbook on Mathematics Education, published by Routledge (2003).Hazel Tan is a lecturer in the Faculty of Education at Monash University. She has recently completed her PhD investigating factors influencing senior secondary mathematics students’ interactions with advanced calculators. She has taught senior secondary mathematics for many years, and was the Head of Mathematics Department in a Singaporean school. Hazel has also worked in the Educational Technology Division of Singapore’s Ministry of Education, spearheading the pedagogical use of technologies in education. Her research interests are in the area of teaching and learning secondary mathematics with technologies and related teacher education, comparative education and gender issues in mathematics education.Anastasios N. Barkatsas is a Senior Lecturer, Master of Teaching Practice (Secondary) Program Manager and Graduate Diploma in Education (Primary) Program Director, at the School of Education, RMIT University, Australia. He has been a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Educational Research of the Hellenic Republic (Greece) and a Senior Research Fellow at the Pedagogical Institute (now the Institute for Educational Policy) of the Hellenic Republic.He has also been a Visiting Scholar and Adjunct Professor at the National University of Athens. Dr Barkatsas was the Statistical Advisor for Higher Degrees by Research at the Faculty of Education, Monash University, 2011-2013 and he is interested in applications of multivariate statistics in education. He is currently the Chief Quantitative Analyst for the WIFI study of the ‘Third Wave Project’, an international research consortium which coordinates research studies into the harnessing of values in mathematics education. Dr Barkatsas has also been Head of Mathematics, Science and IT, Head of Curriculum, Deputy Principal and Acting Principal in various secondary Colleges in Melbourne. Dr Barkatsas has published numerous international journal articles, books, book chapters, and refereed conference papers. He is an Editorial Board member and Special Quantitative Research and Statistical Modelling Advisor, Journal of International Research in Early Childhood Education (IRECE) and an Editorial Board Member, GAZI Journal of Education (GAZIJE).

• I. Surveying the territory.- Introduction: The challenge of developing inclusive mathematics learning environments.- Large scale test data: Making the invisible visible.- Impact of geographical location on student achievement: Unpacking the complexity of diversity.-Rethinking learners’ preferred mathematical task types: The values perspective.- Rethinking gender and technology: A case of graphics calculators in the Singaporean mathematics curriculum context.-Surveying the public: Revisiting mathematics and English stereotypes.-Surveying the territory: Linking research and practice in school mathematics.- II. Interrogating the boundaries.- From the individual to the collective: Rethinking curriculum to make diversity a positive resource.- Ethics and the challenges for inclusive mathematics teaching.- Valuing diversity in mathematics pedagogy: Enhancing teacher agency through values alignment.- Interrogating the boundaries: Inclusive practices in mathematics teaching - the need for noticing and producing relevant differences.– III. From diversity to practice.- (Dis)engagement and exclusion in mathematics classrooms - labels, values and significant others.- Including students with disabilities in the regular mathematics classroom: issues and innovations.- Investigating diversity in learning: How children add together single digit numbers.- Maximising opportunities in mathematics for all students: Addressing within school and within class differences.- From diversity to practice: Commentary.-Conclusion: From Theory to Practice.

From the book reviews: "Presents theories, research, and perspectives regarding diversity and inclusivity in mathematics education for those willing to examine the challenges and possibilities of the ambitious practice of diversity and equity. ... This book is a great resource for mathematics teachers wishing to learn ways to develop better strategies for inclusion and evaluating effectiveness. Graduate students in mathematics education would do well to strive to appreciate the complex and diverse experiences, research, principles, and convictions concerning diversity, equity, and inclusivity." (Woong Lim, MAA Reviews, February, 2015)