Characteristics of Friends Working Together: Group Work in Linguistically Diverse Mathematics Classrooms
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2017-05
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Abstract
The influence of friendship on collaboration during mathematics group work has not yet been extensively examined across diverse school settings or pedagogical contexts. This study explores students’ perspectives towards group work, focusing on the relationship between friendship and group work in linguistically and racially diverse classrooms. Our analysis of interview and video data revealed some of the ways in which students preferred working with friends. There are three main areas that students recognized as advantages of working with their friends: a) focusing on the process of problem solving rather than the product, b) gaining emotional support, and c) diversifying and strengthening ideas. From the analysis of video data of friends working together, we observed that students were gradually diversifying ideas by accepting each other’s contributions while also challenging each other’s ideas. There were times when the boundary of ideas was blurred and different ideas were combined. Despite the learning and social benefits of group work, researchers have also raised concerns about unequal distribution of learning opportunities among students. This study suggests the significance of attending to students’ reports regarding the benefits of establishing and maintaining friendships in relation to group work for mathematics learning.
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Takeuchi, M.A., & Fowler, T.A. (2017, May). Characteristics of friends working together: Group work in linguistically diverse mathematics classrooms. Paper presented at the annual conference of the Canadian Society for the Study of Education, Toronto, Canada.