“Exceptional Talent and Enthusiasm for Math”: An Examination of Storylines Circulated by ChatGPT about Mathematical Learners

Abstract

Storylines exist about the types of learners who participate and excel in mathematics. To understand how AI chatbots participate in such storylines, we examined ChatGPT’s feedback to different learners’ mathematical writing in an exploratory study. Learners included academic labels, like gifted and special education, and race/ethnicity, like Black or Asian. Analysis of ChatGPT feedback illustrated storylines that White and Asian students were neutral and Black students were exceptional. The feedback generally participated in the narrative that doing math consists primarily in performing calculations. ChatGPT also promoted narratives that students in special education, with learning disabilities, or English language learners are similarly able and need to overcome challenges to be mathematically successful.