The Algebra of Empathy

How Timed Tests Are Inhibiting Theory of Mind in American Math Classrooms

Authors

  • Eliza Lerner Pink Stanford University

Abstract

Over the last century, academics in an expansive array of fields—from philosophy to art to neuroscience— have been arguing over the meaning of a certain moral objective: empathy. Although these definitions vary widely, they do converge at a single idea. In education, empathy requires the ability to understand another being's cognitive state, a skill also referred to as theory of mind. In the context of the American math classroom, theory of mind is the sum of three relationships: student and teacher, student and peer, and student and self.  Using research from across disciplines, this paper argues that the overall lack of empathy in the math classroom is halting students' theory of mind, and without that ability to perspective-take, primary school children are not mastering the essential quantitative topics necessary to succeed in the 21st century's rapidly changing economy.

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Published

2018-06-16

Issue

Section

Research Article

How to Cite

The Algebra of Empathy: How Timed Tests Are Inhibiting Theory of Mind in American Math Classrooms. (2018). The Cutting Edge: The Stanford Undergraduate Journal of Education Research, 2(1). https://ojs.stanford.edu/ojs/index.php/ce/article/view/1159