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“I’m trying to figure this out. Why don’t you come up here?”: heterogeneous talk and dialogic space in a mathematics discussion

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Abstract

In this paper, we frame mathematics classrooms as heterogeneous spaces wherein students draw on multiple storylines based on different notions of schooling and school mathematics to both communicate mathematical ideas and position themselves and one another. We focus on a fourth grade (age range 9.4–10.8 years) mathematics classroom discussion in a racially and linguistically diverse urban school in the Southeastern US. Our results reveal that some students drew from traditional notions of school mathematics focused on evaluating right and wrong answers, while others drew on a more dialogic notion of school mathematics supported by local ground rules for making reasoning explicit, revising one’s thinking, and inviting multiple voices. The result was a heterogeneous space that both enabled and constrained possibilities for the construction of a dialogic space. We end with a discussion of the complexities of dialogic teaching in mathematics classrooms given the discipline’s narrative history.

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Acknowledgements

This work was made possible due to a grant by The Institute of Educational Sciences, Award Number R305A100862. The content of this chapter does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of IES or the US Department of Education nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the US Government. The authors would like to acknowledge the collaborative effort and invaluable contributions that made this work possible, especially from the district teachers, students, and administrators, as well as Walter Secada, Edwing Medina, Naomi Iuhasz-Velez, Alain Bengochea, Kristen Doorn, and Margarita Zisselsberger.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA

    Jennifer M. Langer-Osuna

  2. University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA

    Mary A. Avalos

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  1. Jennifer M. Langer-Osuna
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  2. Mary A. Avalos
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Correspondence to Mary A. Avalos.

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Langer-Osuna, J.M., Avalos, M.A. “I’m trying to figure this out. Why don’t you come up here?”: heterogeneous talk and dialogic space in a mathematics discussion. ZDM Mathematics Education 47, 1313–1322 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-015-0735-y

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