Focal event, contextualization, and effective communication in the mathematics classroom

Abstract

The aim of this article is to develop analytical tools for studying mathematical communication in collaborative activities. The theoretical construct of contextualization is elaborated methodologically in order to study diversity in individual thinking in relation to effective communication. The construct of contextualization highlights issues of diversity in collaborative activities as it emphasizes how students may struggle differently with a learning activity. The interaction of students (12 to 13 years old), playing a specifically designed dice game, is used as an example for illustration. The article shows how accounting for the focal events of the interlocutors, and the contexts in which they contextualize these events, help in organizing our thinking about mathematically effective communication in collaborative activities.