RUME 26
2024
Omaha, Nebraska
Opposing Dimensions in Mathematicians’ Counter Narratives Written for Undergraduate Students
Page: 720
In mathematics, counter narratives can be used to fight the dominant narrative of who is good at mathematics and who can succeed in mathematics. Eight mathematicians were recruited to co- author a larger NSF project (RAMP). In part, they were asked to create author stories for an undergraduate audience. In this article, we use narrative analysis to present five polarities identified in the author stories. We present various quotations from the mathematicians’ author stories to highlight their experiences with home and school life, view of what mathematics is, experiences in growth in mathematics, with collaboration, and their feelings of community in mathematics. The telling of these experiences contributes towards rehumanizing mathematics and rewriting the narrative of who is good at and who can succeed in mathematics.