Developing Human Rights Values in Mathematics Teacher Education: Education with and by Youth (ViMTE)

The ViMTE project will research the incorporation of human rights values in Norwegian mathematics teacher education programmes and hence in the practices of future school mathematics teachers. Inclusion of values (specifically: ethical awareness, human dignity and democratic participation) into the teaching of all school subjects is a requirement of the Norwegian curriculum (Udir, 2020). These values have not previously been addressed in mathematics teacher education programmes in Norway. Our main objective is to develop new insights to strengthen the competencies of youth, teacher educators and pre-service teachers to incorporate these values in mathematics teaching and learning. In a participatory research approach, we will invite youth in grades 5-10 to collaborate with researchers, teacher educators and pre-service teachers in two universities to understand how existing practices support and hinder the incorporation of the values in mathematics teacher education programmes and to develop new practices. We understand youth’s diverse experiences and perspectives as strengths. Hence, we directly start from hearing the voices of the youth and sharing youth perspectives with the adult participants (teacher educators and pre-service teachers), in a multi-layered, multivocal research design. Achieving the objectives of ViMTE will involve theoretical and methodological innovation drawing on concepts from mathematics education and human rights education. Within a broader social and political agenda, ViMTE will highlight the interplay between the learning of mathematics and the values-based knowledge that transcends subject boundaries and is necessary to contribute to a more socially sustainable society and working life.

The ViMTE project will research the deliberate and explicit incorporation of human rights values in Norwegian mathematics teacher education programmes and hence in the practices of future school mathematics teachers. The explicit incorporation of values (specifically, ethical awareness, human dignity and democratic participation) is a requirement of the Norwegian curriculum (Udir, 2020). These values have not previously been addressed in mathematics teacher education programmes in Norway. There is currently a t gap in documenting, understanding, and enhancing the Values-related practices in mathematics teacher education programmes in Norway. ViMTE responds to this gap by exploring how youth-informed Values-based mathematical activities can strengthen how mathematics teacher educators and pre-service teachers address this requirement in their teaching. To do this ViMT involve theoretical and methodological innovation drawing on concepts from mathematics education and human rights education. In a participatory approach, we will invite youth in grades 5-10 to collaborate with researchers, teacher educators and pre-service teachers in two universities to understand how existing practices support and hinder the incorporation of the Values in mathematics teacher education programmes, and develop new practices. Within a broader social agenda, ViMTE will highlight the interplay between the learning of mathematics and the overarching Values-based knowledge that transcends subject boundaries and is necessary to contribute to a more socially sustainable society and working life. ViMTE is crucial for three reasons: it 1) develops Value-based teaching and learning in the school subject of mathematics; 2) builds on the strengths and perspectives of youth; 3) works with mathematics teacher education programs to involve broad communities of future teachers.