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Mamokgethi Setati, PhD (Wits), MASSAf College of Science, Engineering and Technology University of South Africa Research on Mathematics and language diversity:

Questions that guided the review What research has been done in this area of study internationally? Is this research connected? If so how and if not why not? What contribution has this research made to our understanding of the complexities of teaching and learning maths in multilingual contexts? What are the gaps and silences visible in research in this area?

Methodology Started with a selection of key peer reviewed international journals in mathematics education, multilingualism and language in education – Important to focus on work that has gone through rigorous process of review – National and regional journals were excluded to ensure that the review is international Included PME proceedings – The largest annual key international mathematics education conference

Journals and conference proceedings included in the review (2000 – 2010) International Mathematics Education Journals (24) Educational Studies in Mathematics (ESM)10 Journal for Research in Mathematics Education (JRME) 1 Mathematics Education Research Journal (MERJ)6 For the Learning of Mathematics (FLM)5 International Journal of Mathematics and Science Education (IJMSE) 2 International Language Journals (5) International Journal of Multilingualism1 Language and Education2 Linguistics and Education1 International journal of bilingual education and bilingualism 1 International Conference Proceedings (25) International Conference on the Psychology of Mathematics Education (PME) 25

Limitations of this methodology Covers only international journals that only publish in English – Excludes authors who do not write in English. – Excludes research conducted in regions where English is not the language of research – Emphasises the hegemony of English.

Research approaches & level of education Journal/ Conf Proceedings No. of papers Research approachLevel of Education QualQuantMixedPrimarySecondaryTertiary ESM* JRME111 MERJ FLM Int. journal of multilingualism 11 Int. Journal of Scien and Maths Ed Language and education 2112 Linguistics and education 111 Int. Journal of bilingual educ and bilingualism 111 PME proceedings Total

Observations Number of journal papers versus conference proceedings – Much of the research done does not get published in international journals – In the last 10 years ESM is the only journal that published a special issue edited by Barwell, Setati and Barton in The dominance of small-scale qualitative research. – studies that focus on small groups of learners or teachers (<50) within a school or a small groups of schools (<10) – 46 of the 54 papers report small scale qualitative studies The limited amount of research in this area at tertiary level (8 of the 54).

Observations Topics/themes researchedNumber of publications Code-switching13 Educating immigrant mathematics learners13 Teachers supporting multilingual learners11 Learner performance8 Policy5 Deliberate use of home languages2 Data comparison1 Research review1 Total54

Observations Most of the research in this area is focused on describing what is rather than exploring what could be. – Much of the focus is still on understanding the problem rather than exploring possible solutions. – Only 2 out of 54 articles reviewed explored what could be; and they came from the same project. There is a lack of focus on developing a theory base.

Shifts in theoretical perspectives Until 2005 research in this area was framed by a conception of mediated learning wherein language is only seen as a tool for thinking and communication. This research did not consider the political role of language, thus suggesting – an assumption that teachers/students/parents can make language choices independent from economic, political and ideological constraints and pressures that surround them. – An ignorance of the hegemony of the colonial languages (e.g. English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, etc.) The recognition of the political role of language in mathematics education was argued for by Setati (2005) in JRME.

Some disconnects in the research While all point to language as a key factor in mathematics performance – Small scale research points to enabling practices such as code-switching & the deliberate use of students’ home languages – Large scale research argues for fluency in the language of learning and teaching as a prerequisite for success in mathematics

Gaps and Silences Who is doing the research? Which regions and countries seem to be silent? – Why? – What does this mean for future research and growth in this area of study?

Some questions for future research What pedagogies are relevant in different multilingual mathematics classrooms to facilitate access to mathematics for learners who learn in a language they are not fluent in? What do all teachers need to know, and what skills do they need in order to be able to teach mathematics effectively in multilingual classrooms? What is required in mathematics teacher education to ensure that future teachers are adequately prepared to maximise the personal, linguistic and mathematical potential of all learners?

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