Examining Secondary Preservice Mathematics Teachers’ Perspectives on Whether Discussing Controversial Issues Support Student Learning

Using mathematics to understand our world and combat injustices is particularly important in this era of increasing inequality and political polarization. This article reports on research conducted on the first assignment in a social justice module implemented in secondary mathematics methods courses. The assignment served as a formative assessment to better understand preservice teachers’ perspectives on whether controversial issues should be addressed in mathematics instruction. It offers insights into how mathematics teacher educators might design experiences to better support preservice mathematics teachers to be advocates for equity by integrating social justice issues into their mathematics instruction. Findings have important implications for the preparation and design of activities for preservice teachers to teach mathematics for social justice.