| This research examines the nature of peer communications in mathematics in a middle-school setting to determine whether students' communication practices shift or transform showing evidence of sense making, in the absence of a teacher. The two central research questions framing this research are: (1) what is the nature of peer communication in mathematics? And (2) what is its relationship to learning and knowing? Peer discourse is analyzed through video study methodology drawing on methods used by Hiebert et al. (2004) and Lampert and Ball (1998). Video study methodology analyzes as data both what is said and what is done by participants (e.g., words, actions, gestures, etc.). My theoretical framework was a sociocultural perspective that contends that all learning is social, context-based and mediated by a more expert other (Lerman, 19986, 2001; Vygotsky, 1962, 1978).;Key words: discourse, mathematics, peers, productive silencing, productive positioning, situated identities;Findings suggest that students in this research created limited opportunities to develop mathematical discourse with one another, despite notable pedagogical intention on behalf of the teacher. The nature of the group work itself was found to be the foremost factor in contributing to this finding. Students in this research regulated legitimate participation (Brown et al., 1989; Lave & Wenger, 1991) of one another in group work based on situated identities (i.e., prior existing constructs of each other determined by academic achievement, social status, etc.) (Goffman et al., 1997). Some students were subject to productive silencing which limited their legitimate participation and maintained particular social/academic trajectories despite the resistance (i.e., a desire to participate) on the part of the student. Other students, because of their situated identities, benefited from productive positioning and were permitted to contribute in insignificant ways without experiencing any resistance from others in the group. Finally, no student assumed the role of 'expert other' (Vygotsky, 1978) within the groups; therefore, there was limited support for those that struggled within the group. |
