Identifying the types of collective engagement structures that manifest in middle-grade mathematics classrooms
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: While the potential of collaborative problem solving in mathematics is well-known, facilitating effective group work is often challenging. One reason for this persistent difficulty educators face with collaborative problem solving can be traced to research and practice models that are not well-equipped to attend to the complexity of group work. The emerging construct of “collective engagement structures” represents one novel framework designed to attend to the complexity and variation of individual and group experience in collaborative problem solving. This study extends initial theorizing by offering descriptive accounts of the different types of collective engagement structures that emerged from analysis of 23 middle-grade groups. We identified seven collective engagement structures: Follow The Leader, Let’s Figure This Out, Let’s Get The Job Done, We’re Really Into This, Let’s Win!, Let’s Have Fun, and Everybody For Themselves. Beyond an intellectual exercise, these structures revealed the student- and group-level competencies for optimal group practices.
Language: English
Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W4405911772