Authority and positionings in elementary mathematics: An interactional ethnographic approach

Abstract

In this interactional ethnographic investigation, one third grade elementary mathematics classroom served as a lens to develop an interactional understanding of authority negotiations between two students. Through a discursive analysis of one telling case, we demonstrate how students navigated classroom interactions by maintaining a relationship close to their teacher's positionings and through adhering to the co-constructed storylines of the classroom cultures in the making. Findings elucidate the ways students use the authority of the teacher in assigning mathematical competence during collaborative work. Future directions for research on understanding shared authority in mathematics education are considered.