Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Dialogic mathematics gatherings: encouraging the other women’s critical thinking on numeracy

  • Original Article
  • Published:
ZDM Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this paper, dialogue among a group of adult women with basic adult education is examined. Women read books of mathematics in the context of a dialogic mathematics gathering (DMG). There is limited evidence in research on how adults develop their ‘numerical understanding’. The objective of this study is to analyze how adults engage in critical thinking on numeracy, expanding their skills when becoming critics as readers. Women participating in the DMG create a context in which they exchange reports of their personal experiences in making meaning for the mathematical objects appearing in the readings. Three different episodes are discussed, involving units of measurement, number system, and the concept of base. Using a methodological framework grounded on Freire’s work, evidence shows how those women unpack the mathematical meaning embedded in the readings, examining critically the objects discussed. DMGs result in a successful educational action to empower those women with low mathematics education experience.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Addams, J. (1990). Twenty years at hull-house. Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Albers, P., Holbrook, T., & Flint, A. (2013). New methods of literacy research. New York: Routledge.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Baker, D. (2008). Using sand to count their number: Developing teachers’ cultural and social sensitivities. In J. Kalman & B. Street (Eds.), Preguntas sin respuestas. Lectura, escritura y matemáticas como prácticas sociales. Mexico DF: Siglo XXI.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beck, U. (1992). Risk society: Towards a new modernity. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bourdieu, P. (2013). Distinction: A social critique of the judgment of taste. New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boyer, C. B. (1986). Historia de la matemática. Madrid: Alianza Editorial.

    Google Scholar 

  • Christou, M., & Puigvert, L. (2011). The role of ‘Other Women’s current educational transformations. International Studies in Sociology of Education,21(1), 77–90.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coben, D. (2006). What is specific about research in adult numeracy and mathematics education? Adults Learning Mathematics,2(1), 18–32.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coben, D., Colwell, D., Macrae, S., Boaler, J., Brown, M., & Rhodes, V. (2003). Adult numeracy: Review of research and related literature. London: National Research and Development Centre for adult literacy and numeracy.

    Google Scholar 

  • Collette, J. P. (1985). Historia de las matemáticas. Madrid: Siglo XXI.

    Google Scholar 

  • Condelli, L. (2006). A review of the literature in adult numeracy: Research and conceptual issues. Washington, DC: American Institue for Research.

    Google Scholar 

  • Díez-Palomar, J. (2017). Mathematics Dialogic Gatherings: A way to create new possibilities to learn mathematics. Adults Learning Mathematics,12(1), 39–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Díez-Palomar, J. (2018). Editorial. Adults Learning Mathematics: An International Journal,13(1), 4–6.

    Google Scholar 

  • Díez-Palomar, J., Hoogland, K., & Geiger, V. (2019). Numeracy in adult education: Discussing related concepts to enrich the numeracy assessment framework. CERME. Utrecht: ERME.

    Google Scholar 

  • Díez-Palomar, J., Menéndez, J. M., & Civil, M. (2011). Learning mathematics with adult learners: Drawing from parents’ perspective. Revista Latinoamericana de Investigación En Matemática Educativa,14(1), 71–94.

    Google Scholar 

  • Díez-Palomar, J., & Molina, S. (2009). Family mathematics education: Building dialogic spaces for adult learning mathematics. In D. Kaye (Ed.), Proceedings of the Adults Learning Mathematics Annual Meeting. London (UK): LLU.

  • FitzSimons, G. E. (2005). Can adult numeracy be taught? A Bernsteinian analysis. In M. Goos, C. Kanes, & R. Brown (Eds.), Mathematics education and society. Proceedings of the 4th international mathematics and society conference (pp. 155–165). Griffith University.

  • FitzSimons, G. E., & Godden, G. L. (2000). Review of research on adults learning mathematics. In D. Coben, J. O’Donoghue, & G. FitzSimons (Eds.), Perspectives on adults learning mathematics. Research and practice (pp. 13–45). New York: Springer.

  • Flecha, R. (2000). Sharing words: Theory and practice of dialogic learning. Oxford: Rowman & Littlefield.

    Google Scholar 

  • Flecha, R. (2014). Successful educational actions for inclusion and social cohesion in Europe. Cham: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Freire, P. (1970a). Pedagogy of the oppressed. New York: Continuum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Freire, P. (1970b). The adult literacy process as cultural action for freedom. Harvard Educational Review,40(2), 205–225.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gal, I. (1993). Issues and challenges in adult numeracy. Philadelphia, PA: National Center on Adult Literacy.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gal, I. (2000). Adult numeracy development: Theory, research, practice. Series on Literacy: Research, Policy, and Practice. Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gal, I., Alatorre, S., Close, S., Evans, J., Johansen, L., Maguire, T., Manly, M., & Tout, D. (2009). PIAAC numeracy: A conceptual framework. OECD Education Working Papers, 35. Paris: OECD Publishing.

  • García-Carrión, R. (2015). What the dialogic literary gatherings did for me: The personal narrative of an 11-year-old boy in a rural community in England. Qualitative Inquiry,21(10), 913–919.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garcia-Retamero, R., & Cokely, E. (2014). Using visual aids to help people with low numeracy make better decisions. In B. Anderson & J. Schulkin (Eds.), Numerical reasoning in judgments and decision making about health (pp. 153–174). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Gee, J. P. (2004). An introduction to discourse analysis: Theory and method. New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Geiger, V., Forgasz, H., & Goos, M. (2015a). A critical orientation to numeracy across the curriculum. ZDM Mathematics Education,47(4), 611–624.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Geiger, V., Goos, M., & Forgasz, H. (2015b). A rich interpretation of numeracy for the 21st century: A survey of the state of the field. ZDM Mathematics Education,47(4), 531–548.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gómez, A., Puigvert, L., & Flecha, R. (2011). Critical communicative methodology: Informing real social transformation through research. Qualitative Inquiry,17(3), 235–245.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gómez, A., Racionero, S., & Sordé, T. (2010). Ten years of critical communicative methodology. International Review of Qualitative Research,3(1), 17–43.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gutstein, E. (2006). Reading and writing the world with mathematics: Toward a pedagogy for social justice. New York: Taylor & Francis.

    Google Scholar 

  • Habermas, J. (2002). On the pragmatics of social interaction: Preliminary studies in the theory of communicative action. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoogland, K., Auer, M., Díez-Palomar, J., O’Meara, N., & Van Groenestijn, M. (2019). Initiating a common european numeracy framework. CERME. Utrecht: ERME.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoogland, K., Díez-Palomar, J., & Vliegenthart, M. (2018). Towards a European numeracy framework. Adults learning mathematics: Adults learning mathematics in a fractured world. London. Boundaries and bridges: ALM.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoogland, K., & Tout, D. (2018). Computer-based assessment of mathematics into the twenty-first century: pressures and tensions. ZDM Mathematics Education,50(4), 675–686.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ifrah, G. (1987). Las cifras: Historia de una gran invención. Madrid: Alianza Editorial.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jarvis, P. (2004). Adult education and lifelong learning: Theory and practice. New York: Routledge.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Kaye, D. (2018). Defining adult and numeracy: An academic and political investigation. In K. Safford-Ramus, J. Maaß, & E. Süss-Stepancik (Eds.), Contemporary research in adult and lifelong learning of mathematics. ICME-13 Monographs (pp. 11–37). Cham: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Kline, M. (1999). El pensamiento matemático de la antigüedad a nuestros días. Madrid: Alianza Editorial.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knijnik, G. (1996). Exclusão resistência: Educação matemática e legitimidade cultural. Porto Alegre, Brazil: Artes Médicas.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lyles, C. R., & Sarkar, U. (2015). Health literacy, vulnerable patients, and health information technology use: Where do we go from here?. New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • McIntosh, A., Reys, B. J., & Reys, R. E. (1992). A proposed framework for examining basic number sense. For the Learning of Mathematics,12(3), 2–8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mercer, N., Warwick, P., Kershner, R., & Staarman, J. K. (2010). Can the interactive whiteboard help to provide ‘dialogic space ‘for children’s collaborative activity? Language and Education,24(5), 367–384.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mezirow, J. (2000). Learning as transformation: Critical perspectives on a theory in progress. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morton, T., McGuire, T., & Baynham, M. (2006). A literature review of research on teacher education in adult literacy, numerac, and ESOL. London: NRDC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Panthi, R. K., Luitel, B. C., & Belbase, S. (2018). Teachers’ perception of social justice in mathematics classrooms. REDIMAT,7(1), 7–37.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peters, E. (2012). Beyond comprehension: The role of numeracy in judgments and decisions. Current Directions in Psychological Science,21(1), 31–35.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reyna, V. F., Nelson, W. L., Han, P. K., & Dieckmann, N. F. (2009). How numeracy influences risk comprehension and medical decision making. Psychological Bulletin,135(6), 943.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Safford-Ramus, K. (2017). Research in adult mathematics education: How far have we come, where might we go next? In C. Mac an Bhaird, J. Díez-Palomar, G. Griffiths, & A. O’Shea (Eds.), Numeracy: A critical skill in adult education. Maynooth: Maynooth University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Safford-Ramus, K., Keogh, J., O'Donoghue, J., & Maguire, T. (Eds.). (2018). Adults learning mathematics - A research forum 1993–2018. Celebrating 25 years: A lot done, a lot more yet to do. London: ALM.

    Google Scholar 

  • Safford-Ramus, K., Misra, P. K., & Maguire, T. (2016). The Troika of adult learners, lifelong learning, and mathematics. Learning from research, current paradoxes, tension, and promotional strategies. Berlin: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sanchez, M. (1999). Voices inside schools—La Verneda-Sant Martí: A school where people dare to dream. Harvard Educational Review,69(3), 320–336.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stake, R. E. (2013). Multiple case study analysis. New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tout, D., Coben, D., Geiger, V., Ginsburg, L., Hoogland, K., Maguire, T., et al. (2017). Review of the PIAAC numeracy assessment framework: Final report. Camberwell, Victoria: Australian Council for Educational Research and OECD.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tout, D., & Gal, I. (2015). Perspectives on numeracy: Reflections from international assessments. ZDM Mathematics Education,47(4), 691–706.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tygel, A. F., & Kirsch, R. (2016). Contributions of Paulo Freire for a critical data literacy: A popular education approach. The Journal of Community Informatics, 12(3), 108–121.

    Google Scholar 

  • UNESCO. (1978). Records of the general conference, 20th Session, Paris, 24 October to 28 November 1978, v. 1. Resolutions. Paris: OECD Publishing.

  • Yasukawa, K., Rogers, A., Jackson, K., & Street, B. V. (2018). Numeracy as social practice: Global and local perspectives. New York: Routledge.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Yin, R. K. (1994). Case study research. Design and methods (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage publications.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

This study was funded by Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (PEX19/00547).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Barcelona, Campus Mundet, Passeig de la Vall d’Hebron, 171, 08035, Barcelona, Spain

    Javier Díez-Palomar

Authors
  1. Javier Díez-Palomar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Javier Díez-Palomar.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Díez-Palomar, J. Dialogic mathematics gatherings: encouraging the other women’s critical thinking on numeracy. ZDM Mathematics Education 52, 473–487 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-019-01092-2

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-019-01092-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation