Students’ Views of Learning Mathematics in Collaborative Small Groups

Approaches to mathematics teaching which offer an alternative to stating facts and demonstrating procedures have been criticised for undermining the base for teachers’ sense of their own effectiveness. Data from an ethnographic study of the classroom practice of an experienced teacher of mathematics who has developed an inclusive (or emancipatory) pedagogic approach indicate that while establishing collaborative groups in the classroom may take some time, students across the attainment range come to appreciate the effectiveness and efficiency of working in such a way. This is in some contrast to research findings about using cooperative groups, a quite different method of teaching. Such findings may support other teachers of mathematics developing an alternative pedagogic approach.