Lisa Poling

Episode 47: Taking a Spatial Turn in Mathematics Teacher Education

June 1st, 2023  |  Season 12  |  34 mins 41 secs

space; place; spatial justice; mathematics teacher education

The spaces we inhabit and the physical communities in which we learn all affect how we come to experience the world, construct what mathematics is to us, and develop how we teach mathematics. In this theory-to-practice article, we discuss why explicitly considering spatial ways of knowing is important in mathematics teacher education. We begin by providing theoretical arguments for the importance of considering space in mathematics education. We then present a rationale for why considering space is so important in mathematics teacher education, specifically discussing links to the practice of teaching mathematics. Examples of how to consider tasks related to spatial justice are provided to help reimagine what an mathematics teacher education task can look like.