Mathematics as Praxis: Reconceptualizing the Role of Mathematics in the Pre-service Special Educator Curriculum

Special Education (SPED) teachers interact with mathematics in two distinct ways. First, math is necessary to operationalize the field. This includes the interpretation of various psychological assessments using statistical analyses in order to advocate alongside vulnerable students. Second, teachers also must deliver mathematics instruction in a way that is consistent with best practices. In order to satisfy these two mathematical attributes of the field, assessment, and content delivery, teachers possess an understanding of their own as well as their students’ ability to engage in mathematics To support teachers, teacher education in the field of special education must promote conceptual understanding and mathematical teaching practices and help students understand that math can be a tool for “reading and writing the world.” In this chapter, we describe an approach to teacher education in the field of special education that empowers pre-service teachers to consider mathematics as a tool toward liberatory practices instead of mathematics as a performance-based and gate-keeping subject. We start by outlining the critical disability perspective and the existing literature on the nature of mathematics teaching and learning. The chapter ends with a model of pre-service special educator mathematics and mathematics education curriculum.