History for Diversity in the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21100/msor.v24i2.1677Keywords:
History of mathematics, inclusivity, diversity, mathematics education, higher educationAbstract
This paper reports on a workshop delivered at the CETL-MSOR Conference 2025 that explored the use of historical narratives to foster inclusivity, enhance student engagement, and support a stronger sense of belonging in university mathematics, particularly for under-represented groups. The workshop addressed several interconnected themes, including historically overlooked mathematicians, mathematics and statistics with problematic historical legacies, the role of historical perspectives in shaping student confidence and mathematical identity, and the use of historical mathematical methods to illuminate modern problems. Through a combination of discussion-based activities and illustrative case studies, participants considered how history can be incorporated into teaching in ways that encourage critical reflection on both the development and use of mathematical knowledge. The workshop also introduced the History for Inclusion & Diversity in Mathematics Network, which supports practitioners interested in using the history of mathematics to promote equality, diversity, and inclusion in higher education, and participants were invited to engage with the network and its resources.
References
American History Foundation, n.d. John von Neumann. Available at: https://ahf.nuclearmuseum.org/ahf/profile/john-von-neumann/ (Accessed: 16 December 2025)
Bradshaw, N. and Mann, T., 2021. Welcoming students to the mathematics community: obstacles to “belonging”, MSOR Connections, 19(2), pp. 75–86.
Georgeac, O. and Rattan, A., 2022. Stop making the business case for diversity, Harvard Business Review.
Chace, A.B., Manning, H.P. and Archibald, R.C., 1927. The Rhind Mathematical Papyrus, British Museum 10057 and 10058, Vol. I: Free Translation and Commentary. Oberlin, OH: Mathematical Association of America.
Chiodo, M., Müller, D. and Shah, R., 2023. Teaching Resources for Embedding Ethics in Mathematics: Exercises, Projects, and Handouts. arXiv [preprint], arXiv:2310.08467. Available at: https://arxiv.org/abs/2310.08467 (Accessed: 16 December 2025).
Chiodo, M. and Müller, D., 2024. Why mathematics is not neutral, and other myths, LSE Higher Education Blog, 10 October 2024 [Blog]. Available at https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/highereducation/ (Accessed: 16 December 2025).
Ernest, P., 2021. Mathematics, ethics and purism: an application of MacIntyre’s virtue theory. Synthese, 199(11), pp. 3137–3167. doi:10.1007/s11229-020-02928-1
Fowler, D. and Robson, E., 1998. Square root approximations in Old Babylonian mathematics: YBC 7289 in context, Historia Mathematica, 25(4), pp. 366–378. doi:10.1006/hmat.1998.2209.
Hardy, G.H., 1920. Some famous problems of the theory of numbers and in particular Waring’s problem. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Hardy, G.H., 1969. A mathematician’s apology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Su, F., 2020. Mathematics for human flourishing. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
Katz, V.J., 2008. A history of mathematics: An introduction. 3rd edn. Boston, MA: Pearson.
Lam, L.Y., 1982. The development of polynomial equations in traditional China, Singapore Mathematical Society Newsletter (Medley), 14(1), pp. 22–38. Available at: https://sgmathsociety.org/smsmedley/Vol-14-1/The%20development%20of%20polynomial%20equations%20in%20traditional%20China(Lam%20Lay%20Yong).pdf (Accessed: 16 September 2025).
Maynooth University, 2025. Increasing awareness of diversity in mathematics and statistics through biography and history. Department of Mathematics & Statistics, Maynooth University. Available at: https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/mathematics-and-statistics/EDI-Resources (Accessed: 15 December 2025).
O'Connor, J.J. & Robertson, E.F., 2003. The MacTutor History of Mathematics archive. University of St Andrews. Available at: https://mathshistory.st-andrews.ac.uk/ (Accessed: 16 December 2025).
The Royal Institution, 2019. What Happens When Maths Goes Wrong? – with Matt Parker. [Online video]. YouTube, 7 March. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JwEYamjXpA (Accessed: 16 December 2025).
Theories of Race, n.d. Francis Galton — Theories of Race. Available at: https://www.theoriesofrace.com/43/ (Accessed: 16 December 2025).
Wikipedia contributors, n.d.. Sally Clark. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sally_Clark (Accessed: 16 December 2025)
Wikipedia contributors, n.d.. Slave insurance in the United States. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slave_insurance_in_the_United_States (Accessed: 16 December 2025).
《九章算術》[Jiuzhang Suanshu / Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art], c.1st century BCE, with commentary by Liu Hui, 3rd century CE.
