A Literature Review of Multicultural Approaches in Mathematics Education: Integrating Culture, Equity, and Pedagogical Practices

Source abstract

This literature review examines how pedagogy, equity, and culture interact to influence student learning in multicultural mathematics education. It demonstrates the importance of grounding mathematics classrooms in the cultural identities, community practice, and lived experiences of learners from an array of sociocultural, critical, and ethnomathematics perspectives. The review is organized around a set of key themes, such as systemic inequities, culturally responsive pedagogy, ethnomathematics and local knowledge, inquiry-based and multilanguage instruction, assessment methodologies, teacher development, technology, and the sociopolitical environments in which teaching and learning occur, and reflects upon progress made as well as remaining challenges. While progress has been documented, significant challenges remain, particularly in teacher training, equitable assessment, and institutional support. In this review, 43 peer-reviewed studies, published from 2010 to 2024, are synthesized across various cultural and educational contexts, thus giving a broad overview of multicultural methods in mathematics teaching. Future work should focus on multilingual learning and technology-rich classrooms, justice-oriented policy frameworks, and the integration of indigenous and community-based systems of knowledge. Overall, the review emphasizes the idea that a multicultural, and culturally sustaining, orientation to mathematics education provides the potential for mathematics teaching and learning that is more inclusive, equitable, and transformative for all students.