Robin Wilson, Loyola Marymount University

Title: Mathematical microaggressions and affirmations and their impact on students’ sense of belonging in the mathematics classroom

Abstract: Microaggressions are intentional or unintentional actions that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages towards a recipient (Sue et al., 2007).  Microaggressions that students receive in a math class can impact a students’ learning experience and can impact their sense of belonging in the classroom.  We will discuss out analysis of the reflections of 133 undergraduate math students who were asked to reflect on an article about Mathematical Microaggressions (Su, 2015).   Findings show that a majority of students in our study have been made to feel like they do not belong in the math classroom, and that racial, gendered, and mathematical microaggressions contribute to this.  We will also share some ideas for affirming students’ sense of belonging in the math classroom through microaffirmations.  This research supports the need to develop initiatives at departmental and institutional levels to encourage more inclusive spaces in math and STEM classrooms.