Professor Marta Civil gives a talk on what drives participation in maths classrooms. © Take Production- stock.adobe.com
<h2><span data-contrast="auto">“Children and adults bring cultural ways of participation different from ones expected by schools. This is an asset – not a problem,” says Professor Marta Civil. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></h2>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Civil is an American maths educator based in Tucson, Arizona. In association with the Centre for Research in Mathematics Education – part of Massey University’s Institute of Education, codirected by Associate Professor Jodie Hunter – Civil is holding a series of talks on maths education. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><a href="https://www.schoolnews.co.nz/latest-print-issue/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><b>Read the latest print edition of <em>School News</em> online HERE.</b></a></p>
<p><b><span data-contrast="auto">Communities as funds of knowledge</span></b><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Tuscon, Arizona is the birthplace of the Funds of Knowledge approach, which Civil has been working with for over 30 years. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">The Funds of Knowledge project is aimed at countering “deficit thinking”, which tends to be applied to minoritised children in the classroom. In the Tuscon context, minoritised students are mostly of Mexican origin, meaning some families are Spanish dominant and some bilingual. Within the funds of knowledge framework, households of Mexican origin are reconceptualised as holding valuable educational resource in the forms of skills, knowledge and competencies. However, this educational resource is essentially invisible to schools due to existing power structures which reinforce the dominant view of knowledge and education. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><b><span data-contrast="auto">Mathematical funds of knowledge</span></b><span data-contrast="auto"> </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Civil’s talk addressed four main questions:</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="ï·" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{";335552541";:1,";335559685";:720,";335559991";:360,";469769226";:";Symbol";,";469769242";:[8226],";469777803";:";left";,";469777804";:";ï·";,";469777815";:";hybridMultilevel";}" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="auto">Status: What does it mean to be good at maths? </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="ï·" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{";335552541";:1,";335559685";:720,";335559991";:360,";469769226";:";Symbol";,";469769242";:[8226],";469777803";:";left";,";469777804";:";ï·";,";469777815";:";hybridMultilevel";}" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="auto">Nature of maths task: Whose knowledge and experiences are represented? </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="ï·" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{";335552541";:1,";335559685";:720,";335559991";:360,";469769226";:";Symbol";,";469769242";:[8226],";469777803";:";left";,";469777804";:";ï·";,";469777815";:";hybridMultilevel";}" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="3" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="auto">Approaches: Whose and what approaches are valued?</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="ï·" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{";335552541";:1,";335559685";:720,";335559991";:360,";469769226";:";Symbol";,";469769242";:[8226],";469777803";:";left";,";469777804";:";ï·";,";469777815";:";hybridMultilevel";}" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="4" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="auto">Language(s): Which language and forms of communication are privileged?</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Over an hour, Civil outlined how dominant cultures are consistently prioritised in maths classrooms, which can diminish participation from minority cultures. In the classroom, children were acutely aware of status given to “high-performing” students who were often of certain ethnicities and social classes. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<figure id="attachment_33025" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-33025" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img class="size-medium wp-image-33025" src="https://www.schoolnews.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/AdobeStock_183481501-300x200.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-33025" class="wp-caption-text">Children can perceive status in classrooms, which is often given to high SES students. © Monkey Business- stock.adobe.com</figcaption></figure>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Civil outlined her work with parents and maths communities, using examples of tasks that deviated from these norms and therefore fostered participation from minoritised groups. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">One example was a parent-teacher maths workshop around complex fractions, which asked participants to make paper flowers. Paper flowers hold cultural significance in Mexican communities, where they are used for Day of the Dead celebrations. This workshop saw a Mexican parent take the lead. They drew confidence from their cultural knowledge of the task. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Another example followed from an intermediate aged student who was able to verbally explain his maths working in Spanish. Using Mexican-Spanish slang he was able to explain the mathematical concept correctly and relate it to his context, demonstrating the value of allowing children and communities to bring their culturally embedded skills and knowledge to the maths classroom. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><b><span data-contrast="auto">Practising a funds of knowledge approach</span></b><span data-contrast="auto"> </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">The funds of knowledge project emphasises that “culture” here refers to the lived experiences and practices of families in the communities rather than an assumed conception of culture. This means practising a funds of knowledge approach necessarily means meaningful engagement with the community a school serves. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Civil says that teachers looking to implement funds of knowledge principles in their classrooms should look for opportunities to collaborate with the communities they serve. This means:</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="ï·" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{";335552541";:1,";335559685";:720,";335559991";:360,";469769226";:";Symbol";,";469769242";:[8226],";469777803";:";left";,";469777804";:";ï·";,";469777815";:";hybridMultilevel";}" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="auto">Advocating for children and families who can be erased, </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="ï·" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{";335552541";:1,";335559685";:720,";335559991";:360,";469769226";:";Symbol";,";469769242";:[8226],";469777803";:";left";,";469777804";:";ï·";,";469777815";:";hybridMultilevel";}" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="auto">Questioning the practices and policies in place and how they could be more inclusive, </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="ï·" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{";335552541";:1,";335559685";:720,";335559991";:360,";469769226";:";Symbol";,";469769242";:[8226],";469777803";:";left";,";469777804";:";ï·";,";469777815";:";hybridMultilevel";}" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="3" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="auto">Challenging deficit language and asking for evidence rather than assuming, </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="ï·" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{";335552541";:1,";335559685";:720,";335559991";:360,";469769226";:";Symbol";,";469769242";:[8226],";469777803";:";left";,";469777804";:";ï·";,";469777815";:";hybridMultilevel";}" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="4" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="auto">Focusing on resource-based teaching and learning,</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="ï·" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{";335552541";:1,";335559685";:720,";335559991";:360,";469769226";:";Symbol";,";469769242";:[8226],";469777803";:";left";,";469777804";:";ï·";,";469777815";:";hybridMultilevel";}" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="5" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="auto">Treating home knowledge and diversity as an asset, and</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="ï·" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{";335552541";:1,";335559685";:720,";335559991";:360,";469769226";:";Symbol";,";469769242";:[8226],";469777803";:";left";,";469777804";:";ï·";,";469777815";:";hybridMultilevel";}" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="6" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="auto">Learning from students and families.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">“Being a learner as much as a teacher has been the most gratifying experience,” says Civil. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Civil says teachers should look out for the strengths that non-dominant children bring to the classroom such as multiple languages, diverse approaches to maths tasks and experiences that are mathematically rich. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><b><span data-contrast="auto">Professor Marta Civil will hold another free lecture titled “Parents as resources for mathematics teaching and learning” on Thursday 6 March at 4 PM at May Road School, Auckland. </span></b><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><b><span data-contrast="auto">Interested educators can RSVP with Professor Jodie Hunter (</span></b><a href="mailto:j.hunter1@massey.ac.nz" target="_blank"><b><span data-contrast="none">j.hunter1@massey.ac.nz</span></b></a><b><span data-contrast="auto">). </span></b><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>

Teacher guide for the new PAT tuhituhi | writing assessment for Years 5 to 10…
Banning AI won’t cut it, says one science teacher. So how can schools and teachers…
Are stressed teachers contributing to the dysregulation we see in classrooms? Rebecca Thomas asks in…
Henbury School Principal Sarah Corry offers a candid, heartfelt insight into leadership burnout, resilience, and…
For many of us, calling our teachers by their first names would have been unthinkable.…
NZEI Te Riu Roa is considering legal action against the government for the disestablishment of…
This website uses cookies.
