We’re All Human, So Why Does Equity Matter?

Authors: Mary E. Pilgrim, Charles E. Wilkes II, Gabriela Hernandez, and Brinley Poulsen Stringer

Abstract

There is a need for mathematics instructors in higher education to have more equitable teaching practices. One way to address this need is through equity-centered professional development (PD). Using interviews across one year of professional development (PD), we describe how three immigrant mathematics instructors grapple with incorporating equity in their teaching practice using Gutiérrez (2009) four dimensions of equity. We found that the instructors focused primarily on awareness and access with respect to equity but did not understand how to infuse equity in their practice. We also found that three themes, the discipline of mathematics, all students are human, and the identities of the instructors and beliefs seem to serve as barriers for instructors’ implementation of equitable practices. Future research might consider how PD could be informed to account for the themes found in this study.