Humanising Maths: Investigating the impacts of colonialism on students from the global south

How does coloniality persist within the pedagogy of mathematics, and in what ways does this shape the education narratives of students with a link to the Global South? Mathematics is often seen as a universal subject, yet few consider the historical processes that shaped why this is the case. This project explores the role of colonialism in forming this one-dimensional approach to mathematics and proposes a method to investigate its impact on university-level maths students from the Global South. This topic is increasingly relevant, as the movement of decolonialism continues to gain momentum within STEM, acted on by institutions like the UK’s University Quality Assurance Agency. Even though university students are the future of maths, little work has been done regarding how they have been impacted by coloniality. This project is comprised of a literature review which considers the history of colonialism in maths, how this persists today and the role of 'decolonialism' in addressing this- and culminates in a method that combines the theory and prioritises the opinions of this specific demographic. In a nutshell, the theory suggests the influence of colonialism in maths lies in eradicating indigenous systems of maths and withholding Eurocentric maths as a form of power. This can be tracked to the present ‘universality’ which still sees the discreditation of the work of mathematicians from marginalised groups, as well as an attainment gap and a funding disparity in higher education. Currently, this project is collecting data at the University of St Andrews to assess the real-life need for these efforts and how they can meaningfully transcend theory. Once analysed, the study will expand to include students from other UK institutions, allowing for cross-comparison.