“Some Angles Are Gonna Be Weird”: Tinkering with Math and Weaving

It has been argued that much of how math is taught in schools aligns with a particular epistemology that comes from western mathematicians and philosophers, potentially leading to an undervaluing of diverse skills and abilities. Tinkering, a common STEAM practice, is one way of participating that does not necessarily involve a straightforward path from problem to solution; rather, tinkering may be non-linear, and involve movement back and forth between known and new solutions. This process is not always supported or encouraged in traditional mathematics spaces but may be more available through activities such as crafting. This study examines a weaving workshop with middle-school students, asking the question: When and how do learners tinker in mathematical ways as they learn to weave? Video data were analyzed using qualitative techniques and perspectives informed by interaction analysis and other multimodal analytic techniques. Findings show that youth could be seen tinkering in the workshops in the forms of “negotiating and renegotiating with materials” and “trying unexpected solutions.” Examples from two focal cases break these tinkering forms down in deeper detail and showcase the mathematical engagement made possible by the space to tinker. This work sparks possibilities for designing math learning spaces that honor youths’ personally meaningful ways of doing and being both through the materials used and the practices encouraged.