The Disorder of Mathematics Education

The Disorder of Mathematics Education

Hauke Straehler-Pohl Nina Bohlmann Alexandre Pais Editors The Disorder of Mathematics Education Challenging the Sociopolitical Dimensions of Research

Editors Hauke Straehler-Pohl Freie Universität Berlin Berlin, Germany Nina Bohlmann Freie Universität Berlin Berlin, Germany Alexandre Pais Manchester Metropolitan University Manchester, United Kingdom ISBN 978-3-319-34005-0 ISBN 978-3-319-34006-7 (ebook) DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-34006-7 Library of Congress Control Number: 2016942553 Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2017 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. Printed on acid-free paper This Springer imprint is published by Springer Nature The registered company is Springer International Publishing AG Switzerland

Acknowledgments This edited collection emerged from a small conference with the title The Disorder of Mathematics Education. Working towards research of social and political relevance. The conference was held at the Freie Universität Berlin from January 15th to January 17th, 2015 ( www.ewi-psy.fu-berlin.de/dome ). We would kindly thank the Department of Education and Psychology for financing the conference and all the participants institutions for granting the subsidiary funds needed to attend the conference. Even more so, we particularly thank all those participants who invested own resources in order to be part of DOME. A particular acknowledgement is reserved to Petra Gips, head of the Department of Education and Psychology, who trustfully allowed two young and half-baked scholars to organize everything in the way they desired. The success of the conference and the material existence of the subsequent book you hold in your hands were possible by the further help of Birgit Abel, Daria Fischer, Philipp Friedrichs and Birte Zoege. All the chapters compiled in this book are not solely to be considered as works of the designated authors alone even though they undoubtedly are to be made responsible for the originality, radicality and venturesomeness in the first place. The chapters are nevertheless inspired, enhanced and expedited by the collectivity that made up for the intense discussions during the conference. Besides the (present and absent) authors of this book, this collective includes: Gelsa Knijnik (Brazil), Maria Johansson (Sweden), Kenneth Mølbjerg Jørgensen (Denmark), Elizabeth de Freitas (USA) and Natividad Adamuz (Spain). Finally, all papers have been reviewed at least twice. We thank all those who, by reviewing chapter drafts, have significantly contributed to this volume: Jehad Alshwaikh (Palestine/South Africa), Melissa Andrade-Molina (Denmark), Peter Appelbaum (USA), Christer Bergsten (Sweden), Lisa Björklund Boistrup (Sweden), Nina Bohlmann (Germany), Tony Brown (UK), Ditte Storck Christensen (Sweden), Elizabeth de Freitas (USA), Uwe Gellert (Germany), Eva Jablonka (UK), Kenneth Mølbjerg Jørgensen (Denmark), Gelsa Knijnik (Brazil), David Kollosche (Germany), Anna Llewellyn (UK), Sverker Lundin (Sweden), Mônica Mesquita v

vi Acknowledgments (Portugal), Alex Montecino (Denmark), Candia Morgan (UK), Alexandre Pais (UK), Aldo Parra-Sanchez (Denmark), Hauke Straehler-Pohl (Germany), David Swanson (UK), Paola Valero (Denmark/Sweden) and David Wagner (Canada). The artwork on the book cover was designed by Daria Fischer. Sylvia Violet and Jairo Dorado Cadilla were responsible for proofreading and editing the manuscript.

Contents 1 Welcome to the Jungle. An Orientation Guide to the Disorder of Mathematics Education... 1 Hauke Straehler-Pohl, Alexandre Pais, and Nina Bohlmann Part I What Bonds Us to Mathematics 2 Mathematics Education as Praying Wheel: How Adults Avoid Mathematics by Pushing It onto Children... 19 Sverker Lundin and Ditte Storck Christensen 3 De mathematisation and Ideology in Times of Capitalism: Recovering Critical Distance... 35 Hauke Straehler-Pohl 4 The Narcissism of Mathematics Education... 53 Alexandre Pais Part II Disordering Narratives of Progress in Mathematics Education 5 Revisiting Mathematics for All: A Commentary to Pais s Critique... 67 Uwe Gellert 6 Ethnomathematical Barters... 89 Aldo Parra-Sanchez 7 Installing Good Mathematics Teaching : Hegemonic Strategies and Alliances of Researchers... 107 Eva Jablonka and Christer Bergsten 8 Communicating Research in Mathematics Education: Theoretical and Ethical Problems... 121 Candia Morgan vii

viii Contents 9 Mathematics Teachers as Products and Agents: To Be and Not to Be. That s the Point!... 135 Alex Montecino and Paola Valero 10 Technologies of (Re)production in Mathematics Education Research: Performances of Progress... 153 Anna Llewellyn Part III Disordering School Mathematics 11 A Socio-critical Analysis of Students Perceptions of Mathematics... 173 David Kollosche 12 Interrupting Passivity: Attempts to Interrogate Political Agency in Palestinian School Mathematics... 191 Jehad Alshwaikh and Hauke Straehler-Pohl 13 Assessment in Mathematics Education: A Gatekeeping Dispositive... 209 Lisa Björklund Boistrup 14 Expressions of the Commodity Form: Alienation and Mathematics Education... 231 David Swanson 15 The Effects of School Geometry in the Shaping of a Desired Child... 251 Melissa Andrade-Molina and Paola Valero Part IV Disordering the Role of the Mathematics Education Researcher 16 Disordered Order, Ordered Disorder: Threads, Folds, and Artistic Action... 273 Peter Appelbaum 17 Reflections on Research Positioning: Where the Math Is and Where the People Are... 291 David Wagner 18 Urban Boundaries Space. Disturbing Choices and the Place of the Critical Research/Researcher in the Capitalist Wile... 307 Mônica Mesquita Index... 321

Contributors Jehad Alshwaikh Faculty of Education, Birzeit University, Ramallah, Palestine Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa Melissa Andrade-Molina Faculty of Engineering and Science, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark Peter Appelbaum Department of Curriculum, Cultures and Child/Youth Studies, Arcadia University, Philadelphia, PA, USA Christer Bergsten Department of Mathematics, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden Lisa Björklund Boistrup Department of Mathematics and Science Education, University of Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden Nina Bohlmann Fachbereich Erziehungswissenschaft und Psychologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany Tony Brown Education and Social Research Institute, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK Ditte Storck Christensen Department of Education and Special Education, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden Uwe Gellert Fachbereich Erziehungswissenschaft und Psychologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany Eva Jablonka Department of Education and Professional Studies, King s College London, London, UK David Kollosche Humanwissenschaftliche Fakultät, Universität Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany Anna Llewellyn School of Education, Durham University, Durham, UK ix

x Contributors Sverker Lundin Department of Literature, History of Ideas and Religion, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden Mônica Mesquita Policy and Governance, MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Caparica, Portugal Alex Montecino Faculty of Engineering and Science, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark Candia Morgan Department of Curriculum Pedagogy and Assessment, University College London Institute of Education, London, UK Institute of Education, University College London, London, UK Alexandre Pais Education and Social Research Institute, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK Aldo Parra-Sanchez UNESCO Center of PBL in Engineering and Science, Department of Planning and Development, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark Hauke Straehler-Pohl Fachbereich Erziehungswissenschaft und Psychologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany David Swanson Manchester Institute of Education, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK Paola Valero Faculty of Engineering and Science, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark Faculty of Science, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden David Wagner Faculty of Education, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB, Canada