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Mathematics learners and mathematics textbooks: a question of identity? Whose curriculum? Whose mathematics?

One of the challenges for policy-makers and educationalists today is to increase participation levels and success rates within the study of mathematics. Patterns of inclusion and exclusion in mathematics education are difficult to tie down but it is widely recognised that there are issues about ‘maths’ that affect participation. For learners, textbooks are a key element in both mathematical teaching and learning, and there is evidence that a reliance on textbooks can be a feature of classroom practice. The current study draws on a recent analysis of two schemes of mathematics textbooks used to deliver the curriculum in Scottish secondary schools. This small-scale study explores learners' responses to different mathematics textbooks, with the focus of the study being on the relationship between perceptions of the mathematics curriculum and perceptions of identity. Using textual analysis and focus group discussions, we explored the research question: ‘Are learners able to see “self”, or their interests, represented within the textbook, curriculum content and examples chosen to contextualise it?’ The findings indicate that content selection and presentation of materials appear to influence learners' participation and success in mathematics, although a larger scale study would further illuminate these findings. In particular, findings indicated that in order to maximise learners' engagement with the subject, content selection should be realistic and relevant to their experiences and aspirations for future employment and career paths. The study also sets out a conceptual framework for the analysis of mathematics textbooks, to inform practitioners and publishers of key issues related to learners' identity with the subject matter.