“Math cleverly disguised as/with string”: experienced weavers’ engagement with mathematics

ABSTRACT

Mathematics remains a gatekeeper in schools; educators and researchers must carefully consider how diverse mathematical practices can be recognised and valued. To explore how math is recognised in the craft of weaving, which has been described as highly mathematical with roots in innovations by women, I interviewed 22 experienced weavers about their experiences. Participants also provided images of items they wove. Through qualitative analyses, data revealed that adult weavers describe and use math in their weaving in simultaneous and overlapping ways: arithmetic and calculations, image and shape transformations, and multiple embedded patternings. When educators understand math engagement in broader ways, we can begin to better value intellectual work and open up more potential future pathways for learners in mathematics. This may also help us expand school-based framings of mathematics to in ways that honour learners’ intellectual work and provide more space for learners to be allowed to be “math people.”

KEYWORDS:

• Fibre crafting
• epistemological pluralism
• STEAM

Acknowledgements

Thank you to the participants for your generous participation in this work. I’m deeply grateful to Dr. Kylie Peppler, who provided substantial feedback and advice as this work developed, and to Dr. Anna Keune, who was an incredible thought partner through this process. Thank you as well to the institutions, organizations, and labs who have supported me and my work: Indiana University, The Creativity Labs, The IU University Graduate School, American Education Research Association, International Society of the Learning Sciences, National Science Foundation. A short portion of this piece was published previously in 2020 in the Proceedings of the 14th International Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS). The International Society of the Learning Sciences owns the copyright for the short paper, which can be found here: https://repository.isls.org/bitstream/1/6764/1/789-790.pdf

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Indiana University President's Diversity Dissertation Fellowship. Portions of this work were also supported by NSF: [Grant Number 1420303; awarded to Kylie Peppler and Melissa Gresalfi].