2021 Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education Reports
2021
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Examining the Distribution of Authority in an Inquiry-Oriented Abstract Algebra Environment
Page: 109
Recent large-scale research points to evidence of inequitable outcomes between women and men in inquiry-based mathematics education (IBME) courses. One explanation for differing outcomes may be that women are having different experiences in these courses than men. Specifically, the ways in which students garner mathematical authority and leverage their authority in both whole class and small group contexts may differ between students. Framing authority as a relation between people determined by their mathematical activity, we present an exploratory analysis of the authority relations between students as they engage with tasks developed for an IBME abstract algebra course. Findings suggest there are indeed discrepancies in the amount of time students have mathematical authority. We present examples of situations in which discrepancies are visible to begin examining the underlying nature of these discrepancies.