RUME 26
2024
Omaha, Nebraska
“Really, you’re a math major?!”: Students’ Descriptions of Racial and Gendered Microaggressions and Sense of Belonging in Mathematics
Page: 896
Microaggressions (MAs) are intentional or unintentional messages that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages towards a recipient (Sue et al., 2007). MAs that students receive in a math class can impact a students’ learning experience and can often lead to feelings of exclusion (Cawley et al., 2023). This paper expands on previous work, discussing two types of MAs—racial and gendered—while also discussing students’ overall sense of belonging in a math classroom. This study analyzes the reflections of 133 undergraduate math students who were asked to reflect on an article about mathematical MAs (Su, 2015). Findings show that a majority of students have felt like they do not belong in the math classroom, and that racial and gendered MAs contribute to this. This research supports the need to develop initiatives at departmental and institutional levels to encourage more inclusive spaces in math classrooms.