Open AccessUsing “Tapestries” to Document the Collective Mathematical Thinking of Small Groups
Author(s) -
Alayne Armstrong
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
the qualitative report
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.335
H-Index - 35
ISSN - 2160-3715
DOI - 10.46743/2160-3715/2017.2877
Subject(s) - structuring , context (archaeology) , focus (optics) , representation (politics) , collective intelligence , collective identity , collective memory , epistemology , sociology , computer science , linguistics , mathematics education , psychology , artificial intelligence , philosophy , politics , political science , law , biology , paleontology , physics , theology , finance , optics , economics
A challenge in mathematics education research has been to document the complex nature of collective mathematical learning. This paper describes a method of data analysis that offers a visual representation of collective discourse during mathematical tasks. Using data extracts from a study of small groups in a middle years classroom, I color code collective utterances to create a “tapestry,” a type of transcript that offers researchers the ability to move between individual and collective planes of focus during analysis. The nature of collective thinking is revealed by tapestries, including how utterances bump against each other, the role of utterances evolves as the context of discussion changes, and the potential for self-structuring within collective discourse.