SOCIOCULTURAL CONTEXT OF YOUNG ADOLESCENT GIRLS’ MOTIVATION FOR SCHOOL MATHEMATICS: AN ETHNOGRAPHIC CASE STUDY by JAE HOON LIM (Under the direction of Dr. Laurie E. Hart) ABSTRACT This is an ethnographic case study examining the sociocultural context of young adolescent girls' motivation for school mathematics. In particular, I explored various sociocultural influences, such as the impact of class, ethnicity, gender, and instructional structures and practices in school, on their motivation. Data were derived from regular observations in one school of two sixth grade mathematics classes, one advanced and the other regular, and repeated interviews with seven female students and their mathematics teacher. I also used archival data obtained from the participating students, teacher, and many others, including school administrators. The data analysis portrayed contrasting pictures of young adolescent girls who came from different ethnic, economic, and cultural backgrounds. Even though they shared the same mathematics teacher and school environment, their experiences with school mathematics significantly diverged from one another’s. In general, findings from this study reveal the profound impact of social/cultural capital upon the girls’ experiences with school mathematics, as well as their construction of identities in the discipline. One of the central themes that emerged from this study is a conflict between different ways of structuring and practicing school mathematics. The participating girls responded differently to the cultural environment of their mathematics classroom, and the ideologies that structured interpersonal relationships and ways of mathematics learning in the space. As a whole, their mathematics classes reflected the “justice principle,” which emphasized a clear representation of rules, and equal applications of those rules for disciplinary and instructional purposes. Rewards and punishments were given as consequences of an individual’s attitudes and behaviors. Yet, girls from minority and working class backgrounds deeply doubted the fairness of such classroom and school practices and felt troubled with the justice principle. Based on their lived experiences of unjust justice at the school and other places, these girls rather advocated “an ethic of care” as a primary principle in their mathematics classroom: Through the ethic of care the girls highlighted mutual responsibility for each other, particularly those vulnerable and most in need, and contextual understanding of each situation rather than blind impartiality. Though located under the influx of various sociocultural forces, girls in this study were not mere scapegoats of negative or unfavorable social influences from outside, but active agents who voluntarily chose an ideology that seemed to best benefit themselves. Each participant showed the unique interrelationships and dynamics among the various cultural ideologies she was exposed to, subscribed to, elaborated on, expanded, or resisted in their everyday lives. Their multi-layered, sometimes contradictory, voices reflected their deeply embedded desires and hopes as well as their ongoing struggles to move toward a possible model of learning mathematics that had not yet been actualized in their realities. INDEX WORDS: YOUNG ADOLESCENT GIRLS, MOTIVATION, MATHEMATICS EDUCATION, CRITICAL THEORY, BAKHTINIAN THEORY SOCIOCULTURAL CONTEXT OF YOUNG ADOLESCENT GIRLS’ MOTIVATION FOR SCHOOL MATHEMATICS: AN ETHNOGRAPHIC CASE STUDY by JAE HOON LIM B.E., Seoul National University of Education, South Korea, 1990 M.A., Korea University, South Korea, 1995 A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of The University of Georgia in Partial Fulfillment for the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY ATHENS, GEORGIA 2002 © 2002 Jae Hoon Lim All Rights Reserved SOCIOCULTURAL CONTEXT OF YOUNG ADOLESCENT GIRLS’ MOTIVATION FOR SCHOOL MATHEMATICS: AN ETHNOGRAPHIC CASE STUDY by JAE HOON LIM Approved: Major Professor: Laurie E. Hart Committee: Kathleen deMarrais Penny Oldfather Judith Reiff Dorothy White Electronic Version Approved: Gordhan L. Patel Dean of the Graduate School The University of Georgia August 2002 DEDICATION Dedicated to three extraordinary women in my life whom I aspire to emulate: My mother, Myung-sook Kim who taught me the impetus of my life should and could be nothing but love; Sandy B. DeCosta who inspired me to see the beauty and preciousness of women’s courage and self-determination; and Laurie E. Hart whose ethic of care always made a huge difference in people’s lives, including mine. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This dissertation couldn’t have been possible without many people’s consistent and warm support and their generous help throughout the last five years of my doctoral work. This project is an irrefutable proof showing that “there is no such thing as a ‘self-made man,’” and that “we are made of thousands of others” who have influenced aspects of our identity, character, and work. Therefore, I want to deliver my deepest thanks and gratitude: To the teacher and seven girls who participated in this study: This study was not possible without the teacher’s open-minded, generous, invitation to her own classroom, and the seven girls’ eager and consistent participation throughout the project. Their kind hearts and open attitudes were the fundamental base for my investigation, and I am only afraid that I cannot appreciate enough the great contribution they made to this study. To the members of my committee: Kathleen deMarrais, Penny Oldfather, Judith Reiff, and Dorothy White who shared their knowledge and time, provided me with their productive, insightful feedback, and nudged me to move beyond where I thought it was my limit. These wonderful people also made me believe that it is possible to be a strong researcher and a good teacher at the same time. They were the walking examples of such a combination. To the faculty members in my department: Betty Bisplinghoff, Denise Glynn, Rachel Davis- Haley, Brenda Manning, James McLaughlin, George Stanic, and Martha Allexsaht-Snider, who always supported my work, and generously offered their professional or personal guidance whenever I knocked on their doors for help. To friends and colleagues at the College of Education, particularly in my department: My special thanks go to three of my old colleagues, Holly Ward, Carol Pearson, and Allice Sampson. Their v friendship and emotional support were my refuge when I first came to UGA and struggled to adjust myself to the new environment. I also want to thank my current colleagues, Bryan Sorohan, Nakheung Kim, Janet Lofgran, Meca Williams, and Nicole Torrence for their wonderful friendship, their helping hands and listening ears when I felt I was in the dead end. Neither can I miss three wonderful staff members, Stephanie Bales, Jeanine Meeler, and Holly Coder, who rescued me from numerous messy situations. Thank you all for your kind assistance. To my family, my father and three sisters, Jaehwa, Jaeyeol, and Youngran who never doubted my potential and put their best wishes for me as a professional woman. To my parents-in-law, extraordinary people, who eagerly supported their daughter-in-law pursuing an academic career. Their strong and consistent support prevented me from giving up in the middle of this difficult journey. Thanks for their encouragement and consistent prayer for the last three years. To my best friend and the best teacher I have ever seen, Hyeryung. Thank you for helping me not to forget the promise we made twelve years ago--to be a good teacher and make a difference in the lives of less fortunate children. To my husband Yongjun, and little David Min who have been so patient with their “workaholic” wife and “too-busy” mom. Now, I am coming back to both of you. And most importantly, to my lord, Jesus Christ, and our mother, Saint Mary, for everything. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ………………………………………………………………………………… v LIST OF TABLES ………………………………………………………………………………………… x LIST OF FIGURES ………………………………………………………………………………………. xi CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION …………………………………………………………………………….…. 1 Research Questions ……………………………………………………………………… 4 Research Design, Data Collection and Analysis ……..………………………………….. 5 Subjectivity Statement …………………………………………...……………………… 5 2 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ……………………………………………………………… 11 Critical Theories ………………………………………………………………………... 11 Feminist Theories ………………………………………………………………………. 13 Social Constructivism ………………………………………………………..……….... 16 3 LITERATURE REVIEW ………………………………………………………………………. 20 Motivation and Gender Differences in Mathematics ……………………………..……. 20 Sociocultural Approaches ……………………………………………………………… 25 Contributions from Educational Ethnography and Qualitative Research ……………… 32 Limits and Possibilities for Research on Gender and Motivation ……………………... 36 4 METHOD ………………………………………………………………………………………. 40 Research Design ………………………………………………………………………... 40 Participant Selection …………………………………………………………………… 42 Data Collection Methods …………………………………………………………….… 44 Data Analysis Methods …………………………………………………………….…... 50 5 FINDINGS: COMMUNITY, SCHOOL, AND CLASSROOM CONTEXT…………………… 57 Pine County and Pine County Middle School ……………………………………..…... 57 The Mathematics Teacher …………………………………………………………….... 64 The Mathematics Classroom ………………………………………………….………... 81 vii Summary ……………………………………………………………………………… 117 6 FINDINGS: STUDENTS ……………………………………………………………………... 119 Jessica: The Successful Student ……………………….……………………………… 121 Stella: Between Two Worlds………………………………………………………….. 129 Celestina: Acrobat