A multi-level approach to discourse analysis in young childrens maths talk (Dr Carol Murphy, University of Waikato)

In this seminar Carol will present the multi-level analysis approach used in her PhD on children's talk in mathematics. The aim of the study was to understand better how children exchanged meaning through peer discourse as they worked together on a mathematics task. Transcripts and video material from group sessions before and after the introduction of exploratory talk were analysed for comparison. Carol's approach was an adaptation of Rojas-Drummond and Mercer's (2003) sociocultural discourse analysis. NVivo was used to interrogate data from children's use of speech acts and from children's use of function words. Results indicated that the children were using demonstrative pronouns and adjectives more in some of the groups following the introduction of exploratory talk. The use of demonstratives was evidence of incipient exploratory talk and suggested that the children were sharing intentions through spatial deixis.