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  • © 2016

Teaching and Learning Mathematics in Multilingual Classrooms

  • This book draws together case studies and
  • explorations from a diverse range of linguistic and cultural contexts in which
  • mathematics is taught and learnt
  • It is clearly a valuable resource for courses in Mathematics Education and related social sciences both at the graduate and undergraduate levels, as well as for students of international development
  • This book brings together contributions from all over the world, especially novice researchers in low income countries and hence gives perspectives often not heard in the research literature

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Table of contents (16 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-vii
  2. Review and Critique of Mathematics Education in Multilingual Contexts

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1
    2. Teaching and Learning Mathematics in Multilingual Classrooms

      • Anjum Halai, Philip Clarkson
      Pages 3-10
    3. Mathematics Education and Language Diversity

      • Mamokgethi Setati Phakeng
      Pages 11-23
  3. Policy and Mathematics Education in Multilingual Contexts

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 41-41
  4. Learning Mathematics in Multilingual Classrooms

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 87-87
    2. “X-Arbitrary Means Any Number, but You Do Not Know Which One”

      • Susane Prediger, Nadine Krägeloh
      Pages 89-108
    3. Multilingual Students’ Agency in Mathematics Classrooms

      • Eva Norén, Annica Anderson
      Pages 109-124
    4. Students’ Use of Their Languages and Registers

      • Arindam Bose, Philip Clarkson
      Pages 125-141
  5. Mathematics Teaching and Teacher Education in Multilingual Classrooms

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 171-171
    2. Mathematics Teacher’s Language Practices in a Grade 4 Multilingual Class

      • Lindiwe Tshabalala, Philip Clarkson
      Pages 211-225

About this book

Contemporary concerns in mathematics education recognize that in the increasingly technological and globalized world, with concomitant change in population demographics (e.g. immigration, urbanization) and a change in the status of languages (e.g. English as a dominant language of science and technology) multilingualism in classrooms is a norm rather than an exception. Shifts in perspective also view language not simply as an instrument for cognition with all learners equipped with this instrument in service of learning, although clearly in the classroom that remains of importance. Rather, it is now also being acknowledged that language use is inherently political, so that the language that gets official recognition in the classroom is invariably the language of the powerful elite, or the dominant societal language, or in the case of post-colonial contexts the language of the colonisers. From this socio-political role of language in learning quite different issues arise for teaching, learning and curriculum for linguistically marginalized learners than that of cognition (e.g. immigrants, second language learners, other).

Policies on language in education are being considered and re-considered with specific reference to mathematics teaching and learning. Given the policy environment, globally the proposed publication is timely.

This edited collection draws on recent, emerging insights and understandings about the approaches to improving policy and practice in mathematics education and mathematics teacher education in multilingual settings. It presents, and discusses critically, examples ofwork from a range of contexts and uses these examples to draw out key issues for research in education in language diverse settings including teaching, learning, curriculum and fit these with appropriate policy and equity approaches.

With contributions from all over the world, especially novice researchers in low income countries, this book is a valuable resource for courses in Mathematics Education and related social sciences both at the graduate and undergraduate levels, as well as for students of international development.

Editors and Affiliations

  • Aga Khan University, Tanzania

    Anjum Halai

  • Australian Catholic University, Australia

    Philip Clarkson

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Teaching and Learning Mathematics in Multilingual Classrooms

  • Editors: Anjum Halai, Philip Clarkson

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6300-229-5

  • Publisher: SensePublishers Rotterdam

  • eBook Packages: Education, Education (R0)

  • Copyright Information: SensePublishers-Rotterdam, The Netherlands 2016

  • eBook ISBN: 978-94-6300-229-5Published: 17 December 2015

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Topics: Education, general

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access