Diana Rinaldi and Alex Reynolds

 An unintended effect of current classroom practice has been to exclude some students from future mathematics study. The goal of equity of outcome is central to the construction of the mathematics curriculum. This includes consideration of the need to engage more students, the way particular groups have been excluded, and the challenge posed by creating opportunity.

 What is the point of learning mathematics?  Why have some groups been excluded from future mathematics study?  Why is there a lack of engagement in middle years mathematics?  What are the strategies for resolving the key issues?

 Mathematics: is used to make sense of and describe the physical and natural world and is a set of tools and processes used in decision making and problem solving.  Engagement: self-investment in learning and gaining a deeper understanding of content.  Excluded groups: refers to the exclusion from mathematics study due to students’ socio-economic status, school location, learning style, gender, and/or ethnicity.  Equity: in mathematics is defined as the assumption that all students have a right to equally access all areas of the curriculum as well as accessing high-quality instructional materials and teaching.

 Links to the nation’s future economic, social and environmental needs.