Pacific ethnomathematics: pedagogy and practices in mathematics education

In light of the changing ethnic, racial and cultural demographics in US schools, there is a growing need by scholars and practitioners for teaching practices that are informed by cultural knowledge possessed by students. This comes at a time when standardized testing of student achievement has been given a central role in efforts to improve K-12 education such as the Mathematics Common Core State Standards. This article begins with a discussion of ethnomathematics as a conceptual idea, and a practical way of rethinking ideology, content and pedagogy in a rapidly changing climate of diversity. This is followed by a 5-year study on the Ethnomathematics Institute, which provides strategies for implementing promising practices. In Pacific as well as global communities, it is key to understand the role of experiential, values and place-based learning. Through ethnomathematics, we endeavour to build capacity and networks across the USA and Pacific by creating a database of materials and strategies that are relevant, contextualized and sustainable.