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All Journal MEJ (Mathematics Education Journal)
Chirinda, Brantina
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Mathematics

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Deficit Discourses in Action: Mathematics Teachers’ Attributions of Student Failure in Problem Solving Chirinda, Brantina
Mathematics Education Journal Vol. 9 No. 2 (2025): MEJ Vol 9 No.2
Publisher : Department of Mathematics Education University of Muhammadiyah Malang

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.22219/mej.v9i2.42832

Abstract

Student struggles in mathematical problem solving remain a defining feature of South African classrooms. In many cases, teachers respond to persistent student difficulties by attributing them to the students themselves—citing laziness, lack of motivation, or limited ability. This study examined how teacher blaming emerges in classroom discourse and its implications for pedagogical practice. Drawing on interview data from seven South African secondary mathematics teachers, I examined narratives of student failure using attribution theory and critical discourse analysis. The findings reveal that teachers frequently construct failure as an internal, stable, uncontrollable trait of the student. I argue that these blame narratives reinforce deficit thinking and obscure structural, linguistic, and pedagogical barriers to equitable mathematics learning. Findings highlight how deficit narratives sustain inequitable participation, underscoring the need for professional development that reorients teachers' beliefs toward reflective, equity-based pedagogy.
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