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INTEGRATING ETHICS INTO MATHEMATICS EDUCATION: A PHILOSOPHICAL AUTO/ETHNOGRAPHIC INQUIRY INTO INDONESIAN MATHEMATICS EDUCATION Mangaratua Marianus Simanjorang Graduated in Mathematics Education from Universitas HKBP Nommensen, Master of Education in Mathematics Education from Universitas Negeri Surabaya This thesis is presented as part of the requirements for the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Murdoch University School of Education June 2016 DECLARATION OF ORIGINALITY I declare that this thesis is my own account of my research and contains as its main content work, which has not previously been submitted for a degree at any tertiary education institution. Mangaratua Marianus Simanjorang 30th June 2016 i ABSTRACT Unity in diversity is the foundation principle of my country. For me this is the simplest yet clearest description of Indonesia. There is no Indonesia without diversity, and no Indonesia without unity. Differences that are implicit in diversity can be a reason for conflict or for the origin of harmony, depending on how we relate and respond to the other. My anxiety about potential conflict and my dream for a harmonious life in relation to the diversity of my country raises a question in my mind: what is my role as a mathematics educator to make that dream come true? This thought about my relation with the other and my ability to respond to the existence of the other brings forward a concern for ethics. Ethical responsibility may become the answer to both my anxiety and my dream, which then raises another question: how can I integrate ethics into mathematics education? This thesis is a story about my journey in pursuing an answer to these anxiety/dream questions. Trying to understand the meaning of the ancient term ‘ethics’ is like a journey in a deep dark jungle; filled with uncertainty, anything might happen. On this journey confusion, anxiety and loneliness frequently made me exhausted. However, when I reflected on these experiences I found that a light was illuminating my way. Adopting a multi-paradigmatic research approach, I shifted from one epistemology to another in appropriate ways. By means of critical self-reflection within a philosophical auto/ethnography I tried to construct a coherent understanding of the issues. I found the importance of listening when seeking understanding in differences, which allowed me to conceive of an integrative ethics perspective, with critical inclusivity as the quality standard. Drawing on a critical narrative inquiry method this thesis represents the story of my transformative learning experience. Keywords: ethics, responsibility, philosophical auto/ethnography, critical narrative inquiry, integrative ethics, critical inclusivity, transformative learning ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am a wanderer… In a place where people see me as a stranger I am seeking for what can be found Waiting for the unexpected In a race with time Filled with hope and rhyme Exhaustion is a friend But with no shoulder to lean on Suddenly… A smiley face offering a coffee candy “Time for a coffee before continuing the journey.” He said… Did he listen to my friend? Or is he a wanderer’s fan? Who knows… But I know I am happy because of a smiley candy I am a wanderer… In a place where I meet people who make me a happy stranger The term ‘stranger’ I use in the poem above may be interpreted as my position as an international student. I literarily came to Australia as a stranger from another country. The term can also be interpreted as my position on the topic that I reflect on this study that is ethics. I see this study as a journey and myself as the wanderer. My background as a mathematics education scholar provides me with a minimal encounter with the discussion about the concepts of ethics. Hence, this background makes me a stranger in my journey to find out how to integrate ethics into mathematics education. Having this position as an explorer constrains me to collect bit by bit the pieces of the big picture that I am looking for in this journey. The process is indeed challenging and also exhausting. However, having this position also allows me to meet good and kind people who will help me to lessen my burden by the ‘smiley candy’ that they give me. I want to use this opportunity to express my gratitude for those people. Bill Atweh, my initial supervisor, I thank you for your care at the beginning of my journey. You helped me to figure out the initial concept of my study. Peter Taylor, my principal supervisor, I sincerely thank you for your guidance and support, which have helped me ‘to find what can be found’, to face the many challenges and overcome my anxiety and exhaustion, and eventually to evolve. iii Susan Ledger, my co-supervisor, I thank you for your help and support for me to be able to finish this journey. Brian Fisher, I am very grateful for your help to polish my writing and also my thinking. You have made it possible for me to arrive at this point. Flora Sitorus, mathematics teacher of SD Budi Mulia 1, and the great community of SD Budi Mulia 1 especially students of year 3 on year 2012, I thank you for your collaboration and participation in this study. Lae Elly Hotman Purba, Ito Rita Maria Sinaga and family; Om Johannes Rusli, Tante Lea Teedja and family, I deeply thank you for receiving me in your home. You have made my life a lot easier, and not only that, you also have let me experience the living amongst family when I was far from home. Kashiraj Pandey, Neni Mariana, Rebeca Loftus, Nui Orawan, Naif Alsulami, and all fellow members of Transformative Education Research Centre, thank you for the thought, fellowship and solidarity that helped me by filling the empty space of loneliness in this journey. Pardomuan Sinambela and Bornok Sinaga, I thank you for being there whenever I needed you. Higher degree research students of The School of Education of Murdoch University, especially Helen Dempsey, and the past community of SMEC, I thank you all for accepting me with your smiles and laughter and all the support you provided for me. BERMUTU DIKTI scholarship programme, I thank you for the funding available for me in this journey. I am also thankful to Universitas Negeri Medan and Murdoch University for giving me the opportunity to undertake this journey and the on going support to finish it. My late father, may you rest in peace, this is another step further as a response to your prayer. My mother, my brother and sisters, I thank you for your support and prayers. You were the first inspiration for me to take another step forward on this journey. I also want to extend my thanks to all my friends, colleagues and students that I cannot mention one by one, for all your support which has encouraged and empowered me in this journey. And my greatest thanks and praise is to God for all the graces I have had and for what I have been able to achieve in this journey. May my achievement in this journey become a source of grace for others and for myself. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION OF ORIGINALITY .............................................................................. i ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................. iii LIST OF APPENDICES ............................................................................................... viii LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................... viii CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................1 INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................. 1 MYSELF, MY EXPERIENCE AND MY RESPONSIBILITY .................................................. 2 EXPERIENCE IS THE BEST TEACHER.................................................................................. 10 WHAT DO I WANT TO STUDY IN THIS RESEARCH? ..................................................... 16 WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION OF THIS RESEARCH? ..................... 18 CHAPTER II METHODOLOGY ................................................................................. 19 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................ 19 THE EARLY PERIOD OF MY PHD RESEARCH ................................................................... 20 SHIFTING PARADIGMS .............................................................................................................. 21 MAKING MEANING OF MY EXPERIENCES ........................................................................ 24 CRITICAL NARRATIVE INQUIRY WITHIN PHILOSOPHICAL AUTO/ ETHNOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................................ 28 COMBINING DATA AND LIVED EXPERIENCES FROM BOTH METHODOLOGIES ....................................................................................................................... 33 QUALITY STANDARDS ............................................................................................................... 34 Critical reflexivity ..................................................................................................................................... 35 Praxis ............................................................................................................................................................

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