Abstract
The authors of this chapter propose that the decolonization of Western course content and teaching practice is one of the necessary next steps to build a more equitable and inclusive mathematics curriculum in Qatar. Decolonization of curriculum and pedagogy involves a multilayered process including recognition of constraints placed upon curriculum and pedagogy, a disruption of these constraints, and a creation of alternatives. In this chapter, the authors outline three areas of concern: non-Eurocentric representation, single ways of learning, and elitism in mathematics; and offers pedagogical strategies as a roadmap forward towards decolonization of mathematics curriculum. This is followed by a description of a series of workshops designed for and held with teachers in the community. Finally, the authors present data about teacher perceptions of adopting culturally relevant storytelling as a tool for math education when combined with best practices in mathematics pedagogy.
STEM Education Approaches and Challenges in the MENA Region
TopIntroduction
In traditional classroom settings, mathematics is typically taught using lectures, where the teacher stands at the front of the room and provides procedural instructions to students on how to solve problems. This teaching method by and large is based on demonstrating examples similar to those students will encounter in the homework assignment. For example:
To find a common denominator, find the least common multiple (LCM) of the denominators.
Then, use the LCM as the common denominator. Now, add the numerators and keep the same denominator.⅔ + ⅚
In most educational systems, mathematics is still taught this way. Students practice problems individually and are evaluated based on how accurately they follow the taught procedures. The teaching focuses on abstract symbols, numbers, and formulas and contains little to no use of context except when word problems may be introduced at the end of a lesson. Even then, students are often taught to disregard much of the context and search for keywords and numbers to complete the problem in a way similar to the examples previously provided. The context in these word problems is often superficial, irrelevant to students' realities, and does not affect and orient the readers’ feelings about the content.
In recent years, some schooling systems have been shifting instruction to include more meaningful problem-solving through story problems like the one below, in an attempt to make mathematics more accessible and less prescribed:
However, even with this shift, this type of context remains superficial and reflective of Western perspectives and activities, ignoring diverse cultural and social backgrounds and realities. These types of problems exclude and disadvantage students from non-Eurocentric cultures (LittleBear, 2000). And even in non-Western communities, when changes are made to problems in an attempt to make them more relevant, such as changing names from Western to local (ex. Oscar to Omar), the attempts are often superficial and do not address the underlying cultural bias in the content. Moreover, students are often not provided with sufficient time and resources to explore and develop solutions that are personal and meaningful to them. However, what if mathematics started to reflect non-Western cultures in more meaningful ways and incorporated multidisciplinary approaches like this:
Each evening for Iftar, Jassim’s parents put fresh food on the table in the tent in front of their house. The food was for anyone who was hungry. Night after night, the air was full of heartfelt “thank yous.”
One evening as his parents prepared the meals, Jassim looked down at all of his candy from Garangao. He knew what he wanted to do. He separated his candy into two equal piles, and placed them on the table beside the rest of the food. At the end of the night, he looked excitedly at the table. He saw that ⅔ of one pile, and ⅚ of the other pile were taken.
How much candy did he give away all together?
Figure 1. Illustration by Shouq Rahim Poor
What happens to students’ sense of self within the curriculum? Is a problem such as this one more inviting to a Middle Eastern student? Is learner motivation and engagement affected?
Key Terms in this Chapter
Culturally Responsive Pedagogy: A teaching approach that recognizes cultural background as one factor that can shape how students learn and engage differently within educational spaces, and seeks relevant curricular content, instructional techniques, and community-building strategies.
Eurocentrism: A worldview that reinforces and favors Western ideas and civilization over those of non-Western cultural groups.
Hegemony: The dominance of one group’s ways of knowing over other social groups, often imposing political, cultural, social, historical perspectives.
Decolonizing Curriculum: Course content and multimodal lessons that reflect the plurality of diverse histories and lived experiences of marginalized and historically oppressed communities.
Interpretivism: A paradigm in educational research which is founded on the idea that reality is socially constructed, and we perceive such reality based on our subjective experiences.
Multimodal Mathematics: Multiple and diverse ways of learning mathematics including, but not limited to, storytelling, interactivity, and employing culturally-relevant instructional strategies.
Symbolic Annihilation: The absence of representation, limited, or underrepresentation, of some group of people in the media, which can be understood in the social sciences as a means of maintaining social inequality.