Reimagining Mathematics Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic - A Journal of Educational Research and Practice 2020 Vol. 29 (2) 42-46

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Mary Man

This essay uses an enactive approach to map how Ontario teachers, students, and parents reimagined online mathematics education at the K-12 level during the COVID-19 pandemic. It emphasizes the need for education researchers to apply an appropriate framework to understand emerging realities and to attend to this agenda despite its challenges. Addressing those challenges requires engaging with a co-evolving mathematics education environment and community by innovating research tools and techniques.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages5

Reading Time13 min

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Abstract

Mapping the Reality of Mathematics Teaching and Learning During COVID-19

Examining the Co-evolving Mathematics Education Environment and Community: An Enactive Approach

Reimagining Mathematics Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic A journal of educational research and practice 2020 Vol. 29 (2) 42-46 [https://journals.library.brocku.ca/brocked](https://journals.library.brocku.ca/brocked) Anjali Khirwadkar, * Sheliza Ibrahim Khan, Joyce Mgombelo , Snežana ObradovićRatković, Wendy Ann Forbes Brock University Abstract This essay uses an enactive approach to map out the ways Ontario teachers, students, and parents have reimagined online mathematics education at the K􀀐12 level during the COVID-19 pandemic. The essay highlights the importance of education researchers using an appropriate framework in understanding the emerging mathematics education realities. It encourages education researchers to pay attention to this call to action while recognizing that such an action is not without challenges. To address the challenges, education researchers must engage with the evolving mathematics education environment and community by innovating andreimagining their research tools and techniques. Keywords: mathematics education, mathematics community, education researchers, enactivism * [akhirwadkar@brocku.ca](akhirwadkar@brocku.ca) Mathematics education thrives in face-to-face teaching spaces. This is partially due to the nature of mathematics, “its capacity to compress information into abstract and highly usable forms” (Adler & Davis, 2006, p. 274), which requires learners to make sense of the abstract mathematical concepts and phenomena building on their experiences. Teachers unpack ordecompress mathematics knowledge for their students by implementing pedagogical strategies, such as problem posing/solving, inquiry based teaching, using manipulatives, and collaborative work (Ball & Bass, 2003) . COVID-19 and its constraints have compelled education stakeholders to move from face-toface delivery to online delivery. As education researchers , we wonder how the online mathematics education environment and mathematics community (students/teachers/parents/policy makers/education researchers) are being reimagined. Given the constraints of the pandemic, we ask the following questions: How are education stakeholders (teachers, parents, students , etc.) adapting within the current mathematics teaching and learning environment? How can an enactive approach frame our understanding of the co-evolving mathematics education environment and community during the pandemic climate? Mapping the Reality of Mathematics Teaching and Learning During COVID-19 The shift to a virtual platform across K􀀐12 necessitates the availability of technology remotely to facilitate lesson delivery and ongoing communication among students, teachers, parents , and other stakeholders (Government of Ontario, 2020) . Initially, making sure that teachers, students, and parents have access to technological devices was a challenge (Statistics Canada, 2019); therefore, local school boards in Ontario offered technology pick-ups for laptops, iPads , and tablets for those in need , which ensured access for all (Strong, 2020) . Furthermore, to help students make sense of abstract mathematical concepts using concrete materials (e.g. , measuring sticks, snap cubes, and geoboards), teachers and parents improvised by using household items, finding links to online manipulatives, or using statistics/graphs about the pandemic (Skarky, 2020) . Developing a growth mindset (Boaler, 2016; Dweck, 2008) among students is vital for learning mathematics. It requires consistent and regular guidance from teachers through collaborative opportunities with peers that allow students to witness multiple solutions (Boaler, 2016) . This was re-envisioned by creating collaborative teams in the form of breakout groups, where students connected using social platforms/apps. This section mapped some of the ways mathematics education was reimagined from face-toface to virtual delivery. As we continue grappling with the COVID-19 situation, we turn to an ena

FAQs

What perspective does the essay use to analyze online mathematics education during COVID-19?

The essay applies an enactive approach to examine how mathematics education realities are reimagined through interactions between agents and their environment.

Which education stakeholders are discussed in relation to reimagining mathematics education online?

Ontario teachers, students, and parents are central, along with the broader mathematics education community including policy makers and education researchers.

How does the essay describe the shift from face-to-face to online mathematics teaching?

It frames the shift as a co-emergent opportunity for the community to pose and address relevant issues moment by moment, rather than treating it as a fixed problem to react to.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Mary Man