Using positioning theory to think about mathematics classroom talk

Abstract

This article aims to connect two research areas by using positioning theory to review the literature on talk moves, teacher interactions, and discourse patterns in mathematics education. First, a conceptual review identified 44 articles with 94 concepts describing interactions and discourse patterns. Similar concepts were grouped in a process that developed five categories, each describing one teacher position (a teacher who tells, a teacher who supports, a teacher who uses students’ ideas to create learning, a teacher who orchestrates, and a teacher who participates). Related to each position, we describe rights, duties, and communication acts. We suggest that these five teacher positions represent three transcendent storylines (teachers are providers of insight, teachers are facilitators of learning, and teachers are participants in learning). Using positioning theory enables us to understand the underlying powers that shape the classroom in relation to transcendent storylines, rights, and duties. We use this to explore what the implications are of these storylines and positions for equity and access to important mathematical ideas. This article contributes to our understanding of the complexity of classroom interactions and how transcendent storylines might play a role in subverting or promoting particular classroom communication patterns.