Student Self-Positioning and the Development of Mathematical Competencies

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 7:45 am - Gold 3
  In Roundtable Session: Illuminating Student Perspectives of Mathematics Classrooms

Abstract

Recent scholarship demonstrates that how teachers position students shapes learning. Meanwhile, students are continually positioning themselves. Examining student self-positioning offers insights into classroom interactions, informs teaching, and supports learning. This study draws on positioning theory to examine how fourth-graders navigated their positions during a two-week mathematics program. Using a qualitative portraiture study with rich narrative data, it portrays the experiences of three students with diverse mathematical identities and classroom positions. The study finds that student self-positioning is shaped by student agency, teaching practices, peer interactions, and the broader learning environment. It reveals a positive connection between self-positioning and mathematical competency development, emphasizing how student-attentive pedagogy and collaborative learning environments can challenge limiting narratives and promote learning and identity development.

Author

• Annie Zhou, University of Michigan