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Ethnomathematics in Education: The Need for Cultural Symmetry

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Handbook of Cognitive Mathematics

Abstract

Since it was first discussed, ethnomathematics has been promoted as a way of supporting Indigenous students to see that their heritage included mathematical ideas. However, the inclusion of ethnomathematics in formal mathematics education has been criticized as potentially reducing rather than improving Indigenous students’ possibilities to value their cultural traditions and practices for their own sake and to gain appropriate mathematical understandings. In this chapter, the cultural symmetry model is described and exemplified as a way of overcoming the issues previously identified with implementing ethnomathematics in mathematics education. The four examples focused on different Māori cultural traditions and practices, highlighting both student and teacher perspectives on the implementation. In the conclusion, discussion of these examples provides information about both how earlier concerns were overcome by using the steps of the cultural symmetry model as reflection points for designing and implementing activities and also other issues that need to be taken into consideration. This chapter, therefore, provides insights into implementing ethnomathematics into formal mathematics education, especially for Indigenous students.

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Notes

  1. 1.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Bergen, Norway

    Tamsin Meaney

  2. University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

    Tony Trinick & Piata Allen

Authors
  1. Tamsin Meaney
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  2. Tony Trinick
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  3. Piata Allen
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Correspondence to Tamsin Meaney .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Anthropology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Marcel Danesi

Section Editor information

  1. Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA

    Myrdene Anderson

  2. The University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA

    Tod Shockey

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Meaney, T., Trinick, T., Allen, P. (2021). Ethnomathematics in Education: The Need for Cultural Symmetry. In: Danesi, M. (eds) Handbook of Cognitive Mathematics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-44982-7_4-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-44982-7_4-1

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