Participating In What? Using Situated Cognition Theory To Illuminate Differences In Classroom Practices.

This chapter looks at intentional teaching in detail, drawing out significant distinctions in whole-class interaction sequences which may, at first glance, look similar. Such episodes are sometimes analysed only according to the amount of participation, or the patterns of participation, rather than the mathematical qualities of participation. We find the notions of affordance, constraint and attunement helpful in looking at classroom interaction in terms of how mathematical activity is structured in such interactive sequences. These ideas allow differences in mathematical learning to be understood within a situated perspective by asking ‘what are the specific mathematical practices engendered in this lesson?' As well as offering a powerful frame for ‘getting inside' interactive sequences, this approach gives insight into how learners' mathematical identity might develop in subtly different contexts. Key words: mathematics teaching, mathematical activity, mathematical practices, whole class teaching, classroom interaction, affordances, constraints, attunements [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]