Clarifiable Ambiguity in Classroom Mathematics Discourse

Ambiguity is a natural part of communication in a mathematics classroom. In this paper, a particular subset of ambiguity is characterized as clarifiable. Clarifiable ambiguity in classroom mathematics discourse is common, frequently goes unaddressed, and unnecessarily hinders in-the-moment communica...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inInvestigations in mathematics learning Vol. 12; no. 1; pp. 28 - 37
Main Authors Peterson, Blake E., Leatham, Keith R., Merrill, Lindsay M., Van Zoest, Laura R., Stockero, Shari L.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Routledge 02.01.2020
Subjects
ambiguity
Ambiguity (Semantics)
Classroom Communication
Discourse
Mathematics Instruction
Middle School Mathematics
Middle School Students
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Summary:Ambiguity is a natural part of communication in a mathematics classroom. In this paper, a particular subset of ambiguity is characterized as clarifiable. Clarifiable ambiguity in classroom mathematics discourse is common, frequently goes unaddressed, and unnecessarily hinders in-the-moment communication because it likely could be made more clear in a relatively straightforward way if it were attended to. We argue for deliberate attention to clarifiable ambiguity as a critical aspect of attending to meaning and as a necessary precursor to productive use of student mathematical thinking. We illustrate clarifiable ambiguity that occurs in mathematics classrooms and consider ramifications of not addressing it. We conclude the paper with a discussion about addressing clarifiable ambiguity through seeking focused clarification.
ISSN:1947-7503
2472-7466
DOI:10.1080/19477503.2019.1619148