A normalizing mathematics (education): forum analysis of an extension course about gender studies and mathematics education.

The sociopolitical shift in Mathematics Education has allowed for the recognition of the nonneutrality of Mathematics, particularly concerning gender and sexuality issues. However, this movement is still not widely reflected in initial or ongoing teacher training for those who teach Mathematics, nor in pedagogical practices that have already been made public. Given this scenario, the aim of this text is to analyze the discussions in a forum from the extension course "Gender Studies: What does Mathematics have to do with it?" aimed at current and future teachers who teach Mathematics, regarding the possible stereotypes that Mathematics can (re)produce concerning individuals who diverge from gender and sexual norms. In this study, our intention is to provoke a sense of queering with the pseudoneutrality that has been discursively constructed as inherent to the discipline over the years. To achieve this, we have organized the analysis around three thematic axes: (i) the perception of Mathematics as a restricted or neutral field, (ii) gender dynamics in Mathematics, and (iii) pedagogical practices and materials as (non)potentiators of normalization processes. Based on our analysis, we conclude that Mathematics is still influenced by the intentions of a small portion of society that aims to maintain the status quo. We emphasize the necessity to challenge and break away from the (re)production of discriminatory processes that occur through Mathematics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]