Abstract:
In this paper I report on a study of collaborative learning in senior mathematics classrooms in which Positioning Theory was used as the principal analytical tool. A major objective of the study was to develop a better understanding of factors that promote or inhibit effective collaboration among students at this level. Small groups of learners in three different classrooms were videotaped while working collaboratively on open-ended mathematical tasks. Analysis of the interactions among students during these discussions centred on identifying the different ways in which students were positioned at various times during each interaction. A major outcome of the study was the identification of a range of positions available to students during collaborative work. A study of these positions, focussing on which positions were accessible to different individuals, may help to provide guidance for teachers seeking to implement collaborative activities in their own mathematics classrooms.