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Using I poems to illuminate the complexity of students’ mathematical identities

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Abstract

In this article, we demonstrate how I poems, part of the Listening Guide method, can help researchers to better understand the multiple voices that might comprise a student’s mathematical identity. We provide an analysis of one student’s interview as an example of this method. We argue that the use of the Listening Guide method illuminates the complexity of students’ mathematical identities, especially their fluid, negotiated, and sometimes contested character. In the example shared here, we show how others’ discourses become part of a student’s developing mathematical identity, as well as highlight how the addition of drawings enhances the Listening Guide method.

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Notes

  1. A Wordle is a visual representation of word frequencies.

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Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Grant no. 435-2012-0121. The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada exercised no oversight in the design of the research; the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; or the writing of this report.

Funding

Support is from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Grant no. 435-2012-0121.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Monash University, Room 262B, 19 Ancora Imparo Way, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia

    Jennifer Hall

  2. University of Calgary, EDT712, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada

    Jo Towers

  3. York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON, M3J 1P3, Canada

    Lyndon C. Martin

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  1. Jennifer Hall
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  2. Jo Towers
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Correspondence to Jennifer Hall.

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Hall, J., Towers, J. & Martin, L.C. Using I poems to illuminate the complexity of students’ mathematical identities. Educ Stud Math 99, 181–196 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-018-9839-y

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