Connecting Mathematics, Community, Culture and Place: Promise, Possibilities, and Problems

Abstract

In this essay I explore a critical pedagogy of place for mathematics education. Greenwood's (2013) theoretical framework of a critical pedagogy of place is used alongside frameworks for critical mathematics education to present an approach for connecting mathematics, community, culture and place. Drawing upon literature from both Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars, theories of place-based education are examined. I introduce theories of mathematics education that advocate what Freire (1970/2000) calls 'problem-posing' practices to read (understand) and write (transform) the world with mathematics Gutstein (2006). Two place-based problems are presented, inspired and used by secondary/middle school teachers in a rural community. These problems provide examples and critiques of connecting mathematics, community, culture, and place. The essay concludes with reflections on the challenges and possibilities of a critical pedagogy of place for mathematics education in a world with increasing complex global issues.