RUME 28
2026
Alexandria, Virginia
When We Say “Rigor” in Undergraduate Mathematics, What Do We Mean?
Page: 1018
One equity-oriented Networked Improvement Community (NIC) aimed to interrogate their use of “rigor” and its potential ramifications for the undergraduate mathematics program. In this preliminary report, we use critical discourse analysis on journal and interview data from this NIC to uncover how overloaded the word “rigor” is in mathematical spaces. These preliminary results reveal that rigor is conflated with difficulty, deep understanding, and other notions associated with teaching and learning mathematics. Findings suggest that there is a need to clarify and agree upon what we mean when we say “rigor” within our mathematical circles. We end with discussion and implications for practice.