“It’s Just a Little Mishap": The Interactional Construction of Mathematical Authority During One Work-Sharing Event

• In Event: Mathematics Teaching and Learning: Uncovering and Unpacking Instructional Practices

Abstract

Research shows that having students share their work with the class, which I refer to as “work-sharing practices,” can be an effective instructional strategy. These practices have the potential to redefine how authority is distributed in mathematics classrooms, positioning students as resources for their peers. These practices can be implemented in many ways, however, such that students may hold authority to varying degrees. Accordingly, I examine how one sixth-grade mathematics teacher and her students constructed mathematical authority in a focal work-sharing event. Through video interaction analysis, triangulated with coding of interviews, I identified patterns through which the presenting student was positioned with authority and that authority was withdrawn. Findings highlight the need to consider impacts on students when facilitating work-sharing.

Author

• Miriam Simone Leshin, University of Virginia