‘Limits of the local’ in theorising numeracy as social practice: a case study of mathematics education in Palestine

The human capital-based discourse dominating policy discussions about lifelong learning places significant emphasis on literacy and numeracy as key skills for economic growth and for individuals’ successes in the labour market. While formulations of numeracy in many influential policy discussions acknowledge the contingency of numeracy in the context in which it is used, the discussions do not generally engage with issues of power relations in these contexts. Drawing on two case studies, this chapter considers some of the factors that influence the possibilities of workplaces as sites for developing critical numeracy practices that challenge certain forms of power relations