This book explicates some of the fundamental philosophical tenets underpinning key theoretical frameworks, and demonstrates how these tenets inform particular kinds of research practice in mathematics education research. We believe that a deep understanding of significant theories from the humanities and social sciences is crucial for doing high-quality research in education. For that reason, this book focuses on six key theoretical sources, unpacking their relevance and application to specific research examples. We situate these key theorists within a larger framework pertaining to the history of thought more generally, and discuss how competing theories of teaching and learning differ in terms of their philosophical assumptions. In so doing, we offer context and motivation for particular research methods, with the agenda of helping researchers reflect on why particular approaches and not others might work for them.

This book explicates some of the fundamental philosophical tenets underpinning key theoretical frameworks, and demonstrates how these tenets inform particular kinds of research practice in mathematics education research. We believe that a deep understanding of significant theories from the humanities and social sciences is crucial for doing high-quality research in education. For that reason, this book focuses on six key theoretical sources, unpacking their relevance and application to specific research examples. We situate these key theorists within a larger framework pertaining to the history of thought more generally, and discuss how competing theories of teaching and learning differ in terms of their philosophical assumptions. In so doing, we offer context and motivation for particular research methods, with the agenda of helping researchers reflect on why particular approaches and not others might work for them.

This book examines the current thinking on five critical social and political areas in mathematics education. It focuses on material conditions in teaching and learning, and details features of social life and their influence on mathematics teaching, learning and achievement. Following an introduction, the first section addresses equitable access and participation in quality mathematics education. It explores this issue in different contexts and from different ideological perspectives. The second section traces the emergence and development of the notion of activism in mathematics education in theory, in the literature, in research and in practice. The third section then moves on to explore current research on the political forces at work in identity, subjectivity and (dis)ability within mathematics education, showing how emphasis on language and discourse provides information for this research, and how new directions are being pursued to address the diverse material conditions that shape learning experiences in mathematics education. Economic factors behind mathematics achievement form the topic of section four, which examines the political dimensions of mathematics education through the influence of national and global economic structures. The final section addresses distribution of power and cultural regimes of truth, based on the premise that although often deemed apolitical, mathematics and mathematics education are highly political institutions in our society. The book concludes with a summary and recommendations for the future.

The provocative contributions to Opening the Research Text reflect current interest in the political and cultural underpinnings of mathematics education. With 22 contributors including both established researchers and newcomers, this innovative research-oriented volume challenges traditional theories and "comforting narratives" of pedagogy through realistic, non-linear scenarios reflecting the ambiguities and power relationships of the classroom. By alternating research chapters with inventive responses (including poetry, concept mapping, graphic novel, and collage), the editors present theoretical as well as practice-based possibilities in areas as diverse as arts-based inquiry and social justice pedagogy, all in relation to mathematics education. These multiple calls to action will inspire readers to:

• Rethink the accessibility and impact of their classroom work.
• Consider the value of poststructuralist strategies to curriculum theory.
• Explore alternate research paradigms in mathematics education.
• Trace the intersections of power, economics and mathematics.
• Critically examine the discourse of school mathematics and policy documents.
• Engage in self-study, writing their own stories of insight and in(ter)vention.

Opening the Research Text asks teachers, researchers and scholars to add to the dialogue that is transforming the mathematics education field, and leads new educators toward insights into their careers and the students and communities they serve. Additionally, the book can be a primary graduate or supplementary undergraduate text in education ormathematics education.

An innovative contribution to educational research is to be found in this book. The book addresses the need to generate texts that assist educators and future educators in taking up new research and making sense of it. It offers unique approaches to interpreting research within the mathematics education field and takes its place in a growing set of resources. The book will appeal to teacher educators, student teachers, and mathematics education researchers alike.

Responding to widespread interest within cultural studies and social inquiry, this book addresses the question 'what is a mathematical concept?' using a variety of vanguard theories in the humanities and posthumanities. Tapping historical, philosophical, sociological and psychological perspectives, each chapter explores the question of how mathematics comes to matter. Of interest to scholars across the usual disciplinary divides, this book tracks mathematics as a cultural activity, drawing connections with empirical practice. Unlike other books in this area, it is highly interdisciplinary, devoted to exploring the ontology of mathematics as it plays out in different contexts. This book will appeal to scholars who are interested in particular mathematical habits - creative diagramming, structural mappings, material agency, interdisciplinary coverings - that shed light on both mathematics and other disciplines. Chapters are also relevant to social sciences and humanities scholars, as each offers philosophical insight into mathematics and how we might live mathematically.

This book explores alternative ways to consider the relationship between mathematics and the material world. Drawing on the philosophy of Gilles Chatelet and the post-humanist materialism of Karen Barad, the authors present an 'inclusive materialist' approach to studying mathematics education. This approach offers a fresh perspective on human and nonhuman bodies, challenging current assumptions about the role of the senses, language, and ability in teaching and learning mathematics. Each chapter provides empirical examples from the classroom that demonstrate how inclusive materialism can be applied to a wide range of concerns in the field. The authors analyze recent studies on students' gestures, expressions, and drawings in order to establish a link between mathematical activity and mathematical concepts. Mathematics and the Body expands the landscape of research in mathematics education and will be an essential resource for teachers, students, and researchers alike.