Who is granted authority in the mathematics classroom? An analysis of the observed and perceived distribution of authority

Abstract

The article deals with the way in which authority was established and interpreted by teachers and students in two Flemish sixth-grade mathematics classrooms. Problem-solving lessons during a seven-month observation period were analysed regarding three aspects of teacher–student interactions that explicitly or implicitly reflect who bears mathematical authority: (1) to whom were students allowed to ask for help; (2) who was allowed to answer students’ mathematics-related questions; and (3) who was allowed to evaluate students’ responses. For each of these aspects, we were interested whether authority was ascribed only to the teacher or whether authority was distributed more broadly, with students being considered accountable for their own and other’s learning process. Interviews with teachers and students were conducted to investigate the meaning that participants gave to the practices in which they were involved.

Keywords:

• mathematics instruction
• problem solving
• elementary schools
• teacher–student relationship

Acknowledgements

This research was partially supported by Grant GOA 2006/01 “Developing adaptive expertise in mathematics education” from the Research Fund K.U.Leuven. The authors are grateful to Geraldine Clarebout for her help in analysing lesson transcriptions making it possible to assess observer agreement.