In hundreds of classrooms across Australia mathematics is taught to a heterogeneous mix of children from many different cultures, including children of indigenous Aboriginal people. These cultures have differing perceptions about the nature of mathematics, its importance in the education of their children and how it should be taught and learned. This paper examines some particular aspects of culture which have a strong impact on the attitudes and performance of boys and girls in Australian schools in mathematics. The multicultural nature of the classroom is seen as an important factor in the dynamic of the culture of learning and teaching.
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