School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
4-16-2026
Abstract
In this paper, we used positioning theory to examine storylines that emerged in students’ discourse as they collaborated on a proof construction task. We purposefully selected a case of group work from an inquiry-oriented introduction to proof course as prior analyses showed it was highly collaborative (Alzaga Elizondo, 2022), yet power dynamics seemed unbalanced. We hypothesized that positioning theory could provide a useful lens to interrogate such power dynamics. Through this analysis, we identified several implicit storylines that influenced the interaction related to the nature of proofs, the nature of mathematics, writing proofs, the role of an external authority, and university culture. In our findings, we illustrate how these storylines impacted students’ relative mathematical status via rights and duties, connecting the right to validate the group’s work to an expert position. In light of our findings, we argue for a broadened view of what counts as “doing mathematics” that acknowledges creativity, intuition, and collaboration alongside precision, logic, and authority.
Recommended Citation
Ellis, Brittney M., and Tenchita Alzaga Elizondo. "Emergent storylines that influence positions and mathematical status in collaborative small-group proof activity." Educational Studies in Mathematics (2026): 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-026-10504-6
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Publication Title
Educational Studies in Mathematics
DOI
10.1007/s10649-026-10504-6
Comments
This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made.