Risks Worth Taking? Social Risks and the Mathematics Teacher

Abstract: In this article, we explore notions of risk as perceived or experienced by individuals involved in mathematical education. We present this exploration in the form of vignettes, each illustrating a form of risk: a parent’s reaction to classroom “propaganda”; a teacher trying to do justice by her students; a teacher confronted by his administration; and a college professor who believes university policy to be unjust. Each vignette sheds light on areas in which teacher education may offer additional support in fostering the mathematical knowledge, pedagogical sensitivity, and social awareness required to foster, what are in our view, much needed risks in the mathematical (and otherwise) education of pupils. Following the vignettes, we offer a discussion of factors that contributed to the risks perceived or experienced by teachers: neoliberal discourses, and the powerful cultural scripts that leave teachers feeling that they must hold all control, authority, and knowledge