Executive Functions, Mathematics, and Equity: A Primer
Date
2021
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Abstract
Description
The EF+Math program funds and supports discovery and development to create equitable outcomes in mathematics education in middle childhood (grades 3 - 8). Our mission is to challenge the way people think about how students learn. Students from all backgrounds are equally capable of success in mathematics. However, not all students are given equitable opportunities to build their mathematical abilities, mindsets, and identities. While our goal is universal—that all students are provided equitable opportunities to thrive in mathematics—we fund strategies that support students who have been historically underserved: students learning in under-resourced schools and students of color.
In this primer, we aim to put forward our current views regarding the points of synergy between equity, executive function, and mathematics education and cognition that are relevant to the EF+Math program. The literature shared herein is not exhaustive but instead is a high-level overview of aspects of these fields that are relevant to the work of EF+Math, with the intention that the information shared stimulates discussion and innovation at this intersection.
We take a strengths-based approach and focus on the foundational skills that all students have and that underlie learning: specifically, the ability to hold and work with information in mind, the ability to focus attention on what a student deems important and ignore what she deems unimportant, and to be flexible in her thinking. These abilities have been referred to as ‘executive functions’, and are essential assets that every student possesses.
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Keywords
EF+Math Program Team, Program or Project Justification, Executive Function, Equity, Mathematics, Mathematics Instruction
Citation
EF+Math Program. (2021). Executive functions, mathematics, and equity: A primer.