Critical Mathematics

Peter Appelbaum

Critical mathematics education addresses three intersecting issues in educational theory: the question of a disciplinary orientation to curriculum development and design, the notion of “critical” educational approaches, and the peculiarities of mathematics itself as a nexus of educational and/or “critical educational” issues. This entry looks at the definition of mathematics from a critical perspective, discusses how critical mathematics is implemented, and examines issues of power and the impact of the new perspective. The modifier mathematics at once assumes a need for a special set of questions and issues peculiar to a subject area while also raising the specter of challenges to a disciplinary orientation to educational programs. Is there something special about mathematics that warrants a separate entry in this volume, distinct from, say, language arts, social studies, science, vocational education, and so on? One might define mathematics as a subset of literacy, involving reading, writing, listening, speaking, and otherwise ...

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