Mapping teachers’ perspectives on culturally responsive pedagogy in mathematics: from academic achievement to insights and opportunities.

Following the seminal work of Gloria Ladson-Billings, research on culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) has, in recent years, expanded significantly. Ladson-Billings proposes three elements of CRP: academic achievement, cultural competence, and sociopolitical consciousness. Nevertheless, in mathematics education research on CRP, the sociopolitical consciousness element is often under-explored or even absent. This paper began as an investigation of how LadsonBillings’ three elements could be used to examine prospective and practicing teachers’ (PPTs') perspectives on CRP, prior to their participation in a professional development course on CRP in the mathematics classroom. Thirty-one participants from three separate offerings of the course responded in writing to a set of open questions about CRP (in general and in mathematics). Thematic data analysis pointed to the complexities of categorising the data based primarily on Ladson-Billings’ three elements. In addition, our analysis indicated five components underpinning participants’ responses: challenges; opportunities; fears; resistance; insights. We conclude with a revised conceptualisation of CRP for mathematics teacher education programmes aimed at supporting PPTs’ development of their CRP-related knowledge, skills, and dispositions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]