Cultivating K-8 Teachers’ Critical Consciousness Through Social Justice Mathematical Modeling: The Teacher Pay Task

Author:
Megan H. Wickstrom Montana State University

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Christian Lopez-Mercado University of Montana

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Hyunyi Jung University of Florida

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Volume/Issue:
Volume 13: Issue 1
Page(s):
6–30
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5951/MTE.2023-0039
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Keywords:
Mathematical Modeling; Mathematics; Social Justice; Teacher Education; Preservice Teachers

Social justice mathematical modeling is powerful in helping teachers build awareness of social issues, critique existing systems, and engage in rich mathematical reasoning. In this article, we document a task in which 28 preservice teachers (PSTs) explored if teacher pay is fair and how to define “fair” mathematically. Through qualitative analysis of PSTs’ reflections, we studied the effectiveness of the task through the lens of critical consciousness. Twenty-six of the participants reported developing social and mathematical agency with respect to the task. Because the task related to PSTs’ lived experiences, it allowed them to examine their assumptions about teacher pay, empowered them to use mathematics to explore different perspectives, and helped them envision ways they could enact change.

Contributor Notes

Megan H. Wickstrom, Department of Mathematical Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717; megan.wickstrom@montana.edu https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0557-0112

Christian Lopez-Mercado, Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812; christian.lopezmercado@umontana.edu https://orcid.org/0009-0000-0517-3873

Hyunyi Jung, School of Teaching and Learning, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610; hyunyi.jung@coe.ufl.edu https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4795-0594

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Copyright:
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Inc. All rights reserved. 2024
Page Count:
25
Article Category:
Research Article
Received:
22 Aug 2023
Accepted:
02 May 2024
Print Publication Date:
01 Sep 2024
Online Publication Date:
Sep 2024
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