Math for the People: Motivating Student Engagement in Mathematics through Social Justice Topics

Abstract Math for the People [1] is a collaboratively authored, social-justice focused, open educational resource for teaching quantitative literacy. The text inverts the traditional format of a mathematics textbook, focusing first on the application and then on the mathematical technique. Social justice topics are used to engage student interest and show how mathematics can be a tool for social change. The history of the project, theoretical foundations, and future directions are discussed. Preliminary results show that this approach improved mathematics attitudes in non-STEM students and changed the way that these students looked at mathematics.