TY - JOUR
T1 - Understanding Joint Exploration
T2 - the Epistemic Positioning Underlying Collaborative Activity in a Secondary Mathematics Classroom
AU - Parr, Erika David
AU - Dyer, Elizabeth B.
AU - Machaka, Nessrine
AU - Krist, Christina
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE).
PY - 2023/9
Y1 - 2023/9
N2 - This study examines how collaborative activity among students and the teacher to investigate disciplinary questions, which we term ‘joint exploration’, is established and maintained in a secondary mathematics classroom. Although collaborative and active learning is increasingly sought after in mathematics classrooms, studies of instances of joint exploration remain relatively rare. In this study, we use the theoretical perspective of positioning to conceptualize joint exploration as involving the negotiation among participants to position students with epistemic authority and agency. Using a constant comparative method, we use classroom video data of two episodes containing joint exploration and closely analyse the shifts in epistemic positioning within them. We find that shifts in epistemic positioning, especially with respect to students positioning one another with epistemic authority and exercising epistemic agency, help to support continued joint exploration. We also find that the teacher can play an important role in decentring themselves as the epistemic authority. In addition to these findings, this study contributes a distinction in epistemic authority and agency, as we explain how the two concepts are related and involved in establishing and maintaining joint exploration.
AB - This study examines how collaborative activity among students and the teacher to investigate disciplinary questions, which we term ‘joint exploration’, is established and maintained in a secondary mathematics classroom. Although collaborative and active learning is increasingly sought after in mathematics classrooms, studies of instances of joint exploration remain relatively rare. In this study, we use the theoretical perspective of positioning to conceptualize joint exploration as involving the negotiation among participants to position students with epistemic authority and agency. Using a constant comparative method, we use classroom video data of two episodes containing joint exploration and closely analyse the shifts in epistemic positioning within them. We find that shifts in epistemic positioning, especially with respect to students positioning one another with epistemic authority and exercising epistemic agency, help to support continued joint exploration. We also find that the teacher can play an important role in decentring themselves as the epistemic authority. In addition to these findings, this study contributes a distinction in epistemic authority and agency, as we explain how the two concepts are related and involved in establishing and maintaining joint exploration.
KW - Epistemic agency
KW - Epistemic authority
KW - Group work
KW - Mathematical exploration
KW - Positioning
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85177556962&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85177556962&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s42330-023-00295-w
DO - 10.1007/s42330-023-00295-w
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85177556962
SN - 1492-6156
VL - 23
SP - 479
EP - 496
JO - Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education
JF - Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education
IS - 3
ER -