Participatory Equity From Participants' Perspectives: Student Noticing of Small-Group Interactions in Mathematics

• In Event: AERA Poster Session 1
  In Poster Session: Comprehensive Approaches to Complex Problems: Using Quantitative/Mixed Methods to Study Cognition and Motivation in Context (San Diego)

Abstract

Studies of equity and participation typically use classroom observational data and reflect “outsider” (researcher) perspectives regarding what is equitable. This study, in contrast, used video-stimulated interviews with high-school calculus students to examine equity from “insider” (participant) perspectives. Working toward participatory equity – cultivating classrooms with fair opportunities to participate – requires understanding how students in specific contexts perceive what is fair. While not always visible to outside observers, fairness is certainly felt by students, specifically those engaged in small-group tasks. Findings suggest that what constitutes fair opportunities to participate: varies from student to student and can result in contradictory assessments of small-group experiences; relates to societal narratives about gender and mathematics; and is challenging if not impossible to determine without insider perspectives.

Author

• Heather Fink, University of California - Berkeley