Opportunities for mathematical reasoning within teacher-student interactions in a Thinking Classroom context

Developing students’ capacity to reason mathematically is a key aim of mathematics teaching. However, how such reasoning is supported remains complex. This study examines teacher-student interaction and students’ opportunities for mathematical reasoning in a Thinking Classroom context. While Thinking Classroom is designed to increase student engagement and mathematical thinking through substantial changes to classroom organisation, relatively little is known about how teacher-student interaction unfolds within this instructional context. The study draws on 34 video recordings from five upper secondary mathematics classrooms implementing the first three practices of the teaching approach Thinking Classroom, which concern task selection, random group formation, and work at vertical non-permanent surfaces. A thematic analysis of 124 teacher-student interactions identified four recurring patterns of interaction. Drawing on selected concepts from a complex dynamic systems perspective, these patterns are interpreted as relatively stable. The analysis further examines the students' opportunities for reasoning within these patterns. Opportunities for mathematical reasoning differed across the four patterns and often remained brief, even in interactions where reasoning was most visible. The findings suggest that, in the observed classrooms implementing the first three practices of Thinking Classroom, opportunities for sustained reasoning within teacher-student interaction were limited. The present study highlights the challenges involved in supporting mathematical reasoning and the importance of teachers’ interactional choices in creating and sustaining opportunities for reasoning.