PROCEEDINGS OF THE 20TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
2017
San Diego, California
Using intuitive examples from women of color to reveal nuances about basis
Page: 346
Research and surveys continue to perpetuate deficit narratives about women of color, particularly regarding their participation in and contribution to mathematics. Following the broader call for more research concerning STEM learning experiences of women of color, this study focuses on the sense making of eight women of color regarding their understanding of basis in linear algebra. We documented diverse ways that these women creatively explained the concept of basis using intuitive ideas from their everyday lives. These examples revealed important nuances and aspects of understanding of basis that are rarely discussed in instruction. These students’ ideas can also serve as potentially productive avenues to access the topic. Our results also challenge the existing broader narrative about academic underachievement of women of color in mathematics.