Investigating the relation between teachers’ actions and students’ meaning making of mathematics

International audienceIn this paper we present and illustrate a framework for analyzing the relation between teachers’ actions and students’ meaning making in mathematics. We adopt a pragmatic perspective on learning, and a methodological approach using already analyzed material, to see whether and how the framework of epistemological move analysis can contribute when analyzing the relation between teachers’ actions and students’ meaning making. The results suggest that epistemological move analysis can be used to identify teachers’ purpose in students meaning making in mathematics, by analyzing students’ responses. Further, it makes it possible to identify what earlier knowledge students use, and how they use it, to re-actualize mathematical objects, relations and concepts

Hållbar utveckling i skolan : - en pluralistisk undervisningspraktik?

Denna studie behandlar utbildning för hållbar utveckling och syftar till att, för det första analysera och kategorisera lärares undervisningssätt inom undervisning för hållbar utveckling, och för det andra diskutera huruvida detta undervisningssätt skapar en pluralistisk undervisningspraktik. Angreppssättet som används i studien grundas på ett metodologiskt ramverk som utgår bland annat på pragmatismen och transaktionsbegreppet. Utifrån denna metodologi analyseras lärares undervisningssätt i termer av epistemologiska drag, alltså det sätt som läraren ger eleverna anvisningar på. Studiens empiri utgörs av transkriberade videoinspelningar från undervisningspraktik. Analysen resulterar i sex olika kategorier av epistemologiska drag, vilka sedan diskuteras utifrån vissa utbildningskaraktärer vilka kan ses som eftersträvansvärda för pluralistisk undervisning. Slutsatsen är att de epistemologiska drag som identifierats skapar en pluralistisk undervisningspraktik. Vidare problematiseras resultatet med hjälp av den internationella debatt som råder kring utbildning för hållbar utveckling. Resultaten tyder på att det inte är en viss ideologi som förespråkas i det material som analyserats, utan olika synsätt på frågor som behandlas lyfts fram. Även svårigheter med pluralistisk undervisning problematiseras

Elevers lärande i argumentativa diskussioner om hållbar utveckling

The overall ambition with this thesis is to develop knowledge about students’ learning, especially with regard to process and content, when they participate in argumentation. Students’ learning is investigated through in situ studies of classroom practices. The theoretical point of departure is a pragmatic perspective in which learning is understood and investigated in terms of concrete actions. The empirical material consists of video recorded lessons at secondary and upper secondary schools in Sweden. The content of the lessons is argumentative discussions about sustainable development and socioscientific issues. In the first study, the functions that teachers’ actions have for students’ learning processes are investigated using Epistemological Move Analysis. In the second study, an approach is developed and illustrated that facilitates investigations into students’ learning processes in terms of knowledge content and argument construction in argumentation. The method, called Transactional Argumentation Analysis, combines a pragmatic perspective of learning with an argument analysis based on Toulmin’s Argument Pattern. In the third study, the functions that knowledge have when used by students in argumentative discussions are examined. The fourth study investigates the role of peers for students’ learning and how students influence the argumentation at a collective level. Here Transactional Argumentation Analysis is developed further in order to facilitate investigations of the dynamic interplay between the intra-personal and the inter-personal dimensions of learning and the result of this interplay in terms of the knowledge content and arguments that are constructed. The thesis shows how students’ learning can be investigated through in situ studies of educational practices. The methodological contribution of the thesis consists of the development and further elaboration of Transactional Argumentation Analysis. The thesis also contributes with substantial knowledge about students’ learning processes with regard to knowledge content and argument construction when participating in argumentation. Another contribution concerns the functions of knowledge when used by students in argumentation. Finally, the studies show how peers and teachers influence students’ learning, and how students contribute to the shared argumentation in the classroom.

Elevers lärande i argumentativa diskussioner om hållbar utveckling

The overall ambition with this thesis is to develop knowledge about students’ learning, especially with regard to process and content, when they participate in argumentation. Students’ learning is investigated through in situ studies of classroom practices. The theoretical point of departure is a pragmatic perspective in which learning is understood and investigated in terms of concrete actions. The empirical material consists of video recorded lessons at secondary and upper secondary schools in Sweden. The content of the lessons is argumentative discussions about sustainable development and socioscientific issues. In the first study, the functions that teachers’ actions have for students’ learning processes are investigated using Epistemological Move Analysis. In the second study, an approach is developed and illustrated that facilitates investigations into students’ learning processes in terms of knowledge content and argument construction in argumentation. The method, called Transactional Argumentation Analysis, combines a pragmatic perspective of learning with an argument analysis based on Toulmin’s Argument Pattern. In the third study, the functions that knowledge have when used by students in argumentative discussions are examined. The fourth study investigates the role of peers for students’ learning and how students influence the argumentation at a collective level. Here Transactional Argumentation Analysis is developed further in order to facilitate investigations of the dynamic interplay between the intra-personal and the inter-personal dimensions of learning and the result of this interplay in terms of the knowledge content and arguments that are constructed. The thesis shows how students’ learning can be investigated through in situ studies of educational practices. The methodological contribution of the thesis consists of the development and further elaboration of Transactional Argumentation Analysis. The thesis also contributes with substantial knowledge about students’ learning processes with regard to knowledge content and argument construction when participating in argumentation. Another contribution concerns the functions of knowledge when used by students in argumentation. Finally, the studies show how peers and teachers influence students’ learning, and how students contribute to the shared argumentation in the classroom.

Elevers lärande i argumentativa diskussioner om hållbar utveckling

The overall ambition with this thesis is to develop knowledge about students’ learning, especially with regard to process and content, when they participate in argumentation. Students’ learning is investigated through in situ studies of classroom practices. The theoretical point of departure is a pragmatic perspective in which learning is understood and investigated in terms of concrete actions. The empirical material consists of video recorded lessons at secondary and upper secondary schools in Sweden. The content of the lessons is argumentative discussions about sustainable development and socioscientific issues. In the first study, the functions that teachers’ actions have for students’ learning processes are investigated using Epistemological Move Analysis. In the second study, an approach is developed and illustrated that facilitates investigations into students’ learning processes in terms of knowledge content and argument construction in argumentation. The method, called Transactional Argumentation Analysis, combines a pragmatic perspective of learning with an argument analysis based on Toulmin’s Argument Pattern. In the third study, the functions that knowledge have when used by students in argumentative discussions are examined. The fourth study investigates the role of peers for students’ learning and how students influence the argumentation at a collective level. Here Transactional Argumentation Analysis is developed further in order to facilitate investigations of the dynamic interplay between the intra-personal and the inter-personal dimensions of learning and the result of this interplay in terms of the knowledge content and arguments that are constructed. The thesis shows how students’ learning can be investigated through in situ studies of educational practices. The methodological contribution of the thesis consists of the development and further elaboration of Transactional Argumentation Analysis. The thesis also contributes with substantial knowledge about students’ learning processes with regard to knowledge content and argument construction when participating in argumentation. Another contribution concerns the functions of knowledge when used by students in argumentation. Finally, the studies show how peers and teachers influence students’ learning, and how students contribute to the shared argumentation in the classroom.

Investigating the relation between teachers’ actions and students’ meaning making of mathematics

International audienceIn this paper we present and illustrate a framework for analyzing the relation between teachers’ actions and students’ meaning making in mathematics. We adopt a pragmatic perspective on learning, and a methodological approach using already analyzed material, to see whether and how the framework of epistemological move analysis can contribute when analyzing the relation between teachers’ actions and students’ meaning making. The results suggest that epistemological move analysis can be used to identify teachers’ purpose in students meaning making in mathematics, by analyzing students’ responses. Further, it makes it possible to identify what earlier knowledge students use, and how they use it, to re-actualize mathematical objects, relations and concepts

Students' meaning making in classroom discussions : the importance of peer interaction

The aim is to investigate how encounters with peers affect an individual's meaning making in argumentation about socio-scientific issues, and how the individual's meaning making influences the argumentation at the collective level. The analysis is conducted using the analytical method ''transactional argumentation analysis'' (TAA) which enables in situ studies. TAA combines a transactional perspective on meaning making based on John Dewey's pragmatic philosophy with an argument analysis based on Toulmin's argument pattern. Here TAA is developed further to enable analysis that in detail clarifies the dynamic interplay between the individual and the collective-the intraand the inter-personal dimensions-and the result of this interplay in terms of meaning making and learning. The empirical material in this study consists of a video-recorded lesson in a Swedish upper secondary school. The results show that the analysed student is influenced by peers when construing arguments, and thereby acts on others' reasoning when making meaning. Further, the results show that most of the additions made by the analysed student are taken further by peers in the subsequent discussion. This study shows how an individual's earlier experiences, knowledge and thinking contribute to the collective meaning making in the classroom