Framing Mistakes in Mathematics Classrooms
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20983/culcyt.2026.3.2e.2Keywords:
epistemological framing, positional framing, errors, teacher preparationAbstract
This study focuses on the complexity of a teacher's epistemological and positional framing of her students’ errors, which can be used to foster a learning environment. However, these errors sometimes limit learning opportunities. Audio recordings and daily reflections from five elementary math classes were analyzed, focusing on the errors made and how the teacher addressed them. This study is qualitative in nature. An instrumental phenomenological case study was used, allowing us to understand the teacher's epistemological and positional framing of mathematical errors. The analysis focused specifically on the teacher's actions. The epistemological framing refers to the value the teacher assigns to mathematical errors in the construction of mathematical knowledge. The positional framing refers to how an individual can be involved, or how they are expected to participate, in classroom interactions. The results show how the teacher mostly frames her students’ errors as resources for learning and positions her students as capable, giving them an active role in her classes.
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