Culturally Responsive Math Teaching and Modeling 

Culturally Responsive Mathematics Teaching and Mathematical Modeling

Zavala and Aguirre (2021) revised the original CRMT to include attention to (re)humanizing mathematics adding another sentence to the definition: “Culturally responsive mathematics teaching interrogates and innovates mathematics instruction to be a transformative and humanizing experience for everyone.” The addition of the rehumanizing component within their theoretical framework led to the augmentation of their definition, to capture this component. Math modeling as an iterative process that includes posing real world problems, identifying important quantities, building and operating on models, interpreting and refining the model. 

The EQSTEMM project focuses the power of MM having opportunities to honor cultural and community funds of knowledge, re-humanizing and honoring student thinking and ideas to affirm knowledge bases to promote positive math identities. Mathematical modeling starts with problem posing which promotes inquiry and exemplifies a cognitively demanding task. The complexity of real world problems in mathematical modeling provides rigor and scaffolding up. Meanwhile, MM is an exemplar of what is considered a group worthy task (Cohen & Lotan, 1999) and provides opportunities for students to work together to make sense of the problem, including giving access to culturally and linguistically diverse students to work together in their native language, in turn, affirming multilingualism.  The final area of Power and Participation provides space for teachers to highlight diverse students' contributions thereby, distributing intellectual authority and disrupting status and power. Finally the final dimension of Analyzing and Taking Action is a significant attribute of community-based mathematical modeling focused on social justice which is dedicated to analyzing and taking action as form of liberating pedagogy (Freire, 1970).

Teacher moves for Problem Posing & Identify Important Quantities

Teacher Move tables 2023.pptx