Learning about Issues of Equity in Secondary Mathematics Teacher Education Programs

Overview & Synopsis

Understanding how mathematics preservice teachers (M-PSTs) learn about issues of equity is essential to addressing the inequities that persist in mathematics education. In this article, we use (Gutiérrez, in: Herbel-Eisenmann, Choppin, Wagner, Pimm (eds) Equity in discourse for mathematics education: theories, practices, and policies, Springer, New York, 2012a) aspects of equity (i.e., access, achievement, identity, and power) to describe the reported opportunities to learn about equity (Equity OTLs) in five purposefully chosen secondary mathematics teacher education programs. Data included interviews with M-PSTs and instructors from four types of courses--mathematics content, mathematics for teachers, mathematics education, and general education--in each program. The mathematics- and algebra-specific Equity OTLs were most frequently related to issues of access and achievement, whereas the Equity OTLs reported in general education courses were more often related to issues of power and identity. In addition, the two programs housed in universities with more diverse populations had a relatively greater reported emphasis on equity. Implications for teacher education and future research are discussed.