Analysis Of Three Vignettes In Elementary Education

By examining three vignettes from three different elementary grades, Cengiz seeks to identity the ways that classroom discourse can be used to promote student reasoning. In the first vignette, students were required to examine and discuss all possible solutions to one mathematics problem. Exploring multiple solutions may cause mathematical conflict that encourages students to discuss the problem in more detail and negotiate the reasonableness of the varied solutions. In the second vignette, students were required to analyze and attempt to determine the logic underlying the varying solutions. Through this process, students were required to provide complete justifications for the solutions. This provided the opportunity for students to develop sophisticated mathematical …show more content…
In the last vignette, students were required to identify which solutions were most efficient. By discussing the efficiency of the solutions, students were able to discuss the similarities and differences among the solutions and further enhance their mathematical thinking. Through Cengiz’s discussion of the vignettes, methods that promote productive classroom discourse are identified. The methods, providing multiple solutions, analyzing solutions, and determining the efficiency of solutions, were used to engage students in conversations that promote mathematical thinking and learning. The article provides information that will aid mathematics teachers in designing and implementing discourse in the classroom that will facilitate increased understanding of mathematical