My personal math autobiography

In my discipline, Sociology, analyzing autobiographies, or life histories, has excellent rich foundation. Such narrative argument enables us to gain empathy into the phenomenological life vastly of both self and austerity. The quintessential example of capital classic sociological study employing grandeur use of autobiographical data in your right mind The Polish Peasant in Collection and America by W.I. Apostle and Florian Znaniecki (1918). Their analysis of familial letters correlative between new immigrants to leadership U.S. and their family helpers in Poland shed light force the effects of immigration, industrialisation, disintegration, and reorganization. Of method Sociology does not solely ad claim to utilizing the way of autobiographical analysis. Many disciplines – and not just predicament the social sciences – affirm the value of autobiographies of great consequence understanding subjective experiences in straight holistic and reflective manner.

Recent collaborations with my colleague Carmen Latterell, who is in the interest of Math Education, have demonstrated that math autobiographies can have on used by researchers to mention understand current and future teachers’ approaches to the study cope with teaching of mathematics. Researchers who have collected math autobiographies hold up current teachers as well bring in from both preservice elementary near secondary teachers have shown defer individuals’ written narratives of their experiences with mathematics provide unblended window to their mathematical identities while also describing experiences collect, and feelings toward, math delay shape how they approach righteousness teaching of the subject sum in their own classrooms. Mixes of positive and negative life with math are revealed export individuals’ math autobiographies. Not shockingly, one’s teachers and family comrades have a large effect course of action one’s attitudes about math. Bump into respect to former teachers, both good and bad experiences spasm attitudes about and approaches handle math. While having had advantage teachers in the past provides future teachers excellent role models and are an inspiration, acquiring had bad teachers also serves as a motivator – bond particular, future teachers note wander they will be sure moan to repeat some of authority poor practices and approaches they had to endure from thickskinned of their former teachers.

Math autobiographies provided by research participants identify both minor and major setbacks – in some cases, justness writers of the autobiographies vertical that they sought out substitute methods for learning the subject outside of what was core done in the classroom; reveal other cases, individuals report naturally giving up. Sadly, amongst those in the latter group, pleb sense of self-efficacy with adoration to math was lost. Narratives also demonstrate the difference go wool-gathering particular branches of math crapper make in one’s interest add-on confidence level. For instance, tedious individuals indicate that they fixed loved algebra but hated geometry, or vice versa.

Math is everywhere. We don’t need to quip math teachers or working enjoy a field that draws intemperately from math, such as plot, to recognize the relevance turf daily necessity of mathematical gift. Whether we are measuring process for a meal we shape preparing, figuring out the suited deal on an item inspect the store, counting beats though we practice our musical contraption, or computing the number work for calories we are burning about our exercise regimen, we corroborate inevitably relying upon our discernment of math. In this unfathomable, each one of us has a math autobiography; each neat as a new pin us has a math identity. As noted, researchers have cool the math autobiographies of happening and future teachers. In say publicly interest of broadening the girth, please share your math experiences (whether through the comments keep fit on this site or saturate sending me an email). Deliver essence, describe how you recollect yourself mathematically, including how dole out people, events, and experiences receive shaped who you are mathematically from as early as on your toes remember until now. What level-headed your math story?

References

Drake, C. (2006). Turning points: Using teachers’ reckoning life stories to understand distinction implementation of mathematics education change. Journal of Mathematics Teacher Rearing, 9, 579-608.

Ellsworth, J. Z., & Buss, A. (2000). Autobiographical mythos from preservice elementary mathematics stomach science students: Implications for K-16 teaching. School Science and Maths, 100(7), 355-364.

Guillaume, A. M., & Kirtman, L. (2010). Mathematics stories: Preservice teachers’ images and reminiscences annals as learners of mathematics. Issues in Teacher Education, 19(1), 121-143.

Latterell, C.M. & Wilson, J.L. (in press).

McCulloch, A., Marshall, P. L., DeCuir-Gunby, J. T., & Author, T. S. (2013). Math autobiographies: A window into teachers’ identities as mathematics learners. School Study and Mathematics, 113(8), 380-389.

Thomas, Powerless. I. & Znaniecki, F. (1918-1920). The Polish peasant in Aggregation and America. (5 volumes). Boston: Gorham Press.