Participatory Action Research (PAR) and the Mathematics Orientations of American Indian Youth - A PowerPoint Show

Abstract

This is a PowerPoint slideshow drawn from a keynote session at the South Dakota Department of Education's 6th Annual Indian Education & Dropout Prevention Summit, held in Rapid City, SD in September of 2009. The keynote session is dedicated to detailing the potential that participatory action research (PAR) holds for developing productive orientations to the study and use of mathematical knowledge among American Indian students of mathematics. Speaker shares data, analysis and findings from an exploratory study with high school-aged Black males in South Los Angeles indicating that research-centered mathematical inquiry into community-based issues conducted in non-school environments has had positive impact on mathematics orientation, racial identity and social agency. Pedagogical implications for American Indian youth are discussed.