Appropriating roles and relations of power in collaborative learning

Abstract

Using situated social practice theories to investigate classroom interactions highlights the mutually constitutive nature of students’ activity and classroom practices. Combined with examination of the circulation and techniques of power, students’ appropriation of roles and redistribution of power is illuminated. In this case study, a teacher’s hierarchical collaborative learning system spread rights to exercise power differentially among students. Analyses revealed the ways in which students appropriated that structure to construct a more egalitarian system, as well as the inherent tensions and contradictions that accompanied that appropriation. Their reproduction and transformation of roles and power in the collaborative learning system afforded opportunities to engage as active agents; to participate in the construction of knowledge, skills and practices; and to contribute meaningfully to the social and academic life of the classroom. The hope is to contribute to theory and practice in a way that addresses the complexity of collaborative learning and resists simplistic adoptions that may undermine student learning and agency.

Acknowledgements

Jennifer Gore and Joanne Larson provided critical, insightful and invaluable feedback in the process of writing of this article. Alfred Schademan provided important and valuable assistance with the analysis of relations of power. Reviews by anonymous referees were also critically important to strengthening this work.

Notes

1. I do not present findings regarding the language arts content here, as the focus is on appropriation of roles and power. Extensive treatment of content learning is reported in Ares and Peercy (2003).

2. All names are pseudonyms.

3. See Ares and Peercy (2003) for an extended analysis of time spent in group, independent and whole‐class activity.

4. Exclusion and regulation were also in evidence; however, the frequency of occurrence was minimal in comparison.

5. See Ares (1998), Ares and Peercy (2003) for extensive treatment of the full range of classroom activity structures in Ms Belle’s classroom.