Perspectives on Mathematics Classroom Discourse

In this session, presenters describe three different approaches to studying mathematics classroom discourse. Participants analyze discourse and discuss benefits and potential drawbacks of various approaches to analysis.

Date/Time
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2014 Session Types
Collaborative Panel Session

In the past 20 years, mathematics education research has seen a turn toward the social and, consequently, discursive aspects of learning (Kieran, Forman, & Sfard, 2001; Ryve, 2011). A heightened attention to discursive features of instruction is seen in the recent publication Principles to Actions (NCTM, 2014), which describes an ambitious image of mathematics teaching and learning for the 21st century. It is noteworthy that two of the eight research-based Mathematics Teaching Practices—facilitate meaningful mathematical discourse and pose purposeful questions—have an explicit discursive focus, and another three tacitly refer to discourse, as it is a primary means of eliciting student thinking, supporting productive struggle, and using/connecting mathematical representations. The presenter’s stance is that mathematics classroom discourse creates opportunities for participation and intellectual engagement and, thus, shapes our students’ mathematical learning.

Within mathematics education, discourse analysis has multiple meanings, a variety of purposes, and a range of expressions. In this session, the presenters consider similarities, differences, benefits, and potential drawbacks of differing approaches to mathematics classroom discourse. The session draws on the work of three research projects to explore the use of discourse as a lens to understand mathematics teaching and learning. In particular, the presenters consider classroom discourse in terms of (1) mathematically important student ideas on which a teacher can capitalize, (2) the teacher’s role in collective argumentation, and (3) discursive characteristics and constructs present in productive mathematics conversations. The audience engages in discourse analysis using these lenses and discusses the affordances of various approaches to examining mathematics classroom discourse.