Abstract

VALERO, Paola. The Desire for Access and Equity in Mathematics Education. Rev. colomb. educ. [online]. 2017, n.73, pp.99-128. ISSN 0120-3916.  https://doi.org/10.17227/01203916.73rce97.126.

The idea that failure in mathematics is a problem for democracy and equity should be understood as a part of history where the achievements of individuals and the population is linked to the development of human capital, as well as social and economic progress. The desire for a population with higher math skills goes hand in hand with the generation of mechanisms to order and classify the population and the in(ex)clusion regarding success/failure in school mathematics. International research in math education has approached this issue from different theories, two of which are identified: the position of empowerment supposes that mathematics transfers its attributes of power to those who learn it, either because of its intrinsic characteristics, its applications, or its critical nature. The position of inequality supposes that mathematics, as forms of knowledge per se or as part of the school practices intertwined with mechanisms of social classification according to other categories, such as skill, gender, language, etc. Tensions emerging in the field of mathematics education due to the co-existence of these different views calls for taking an ethical and political position on the possibilities for research and practice.

Keywords : empowerment; inequality; politics; researching research; cultural policy of mathematics education.

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