MAKING A DIFFERENCE: DISCURSIVE PRACTICES OF A UNIVERSITY INSTRUCTOR

This study is part of a larger project that investigated the impact of instructional practices on university students learning in pre-calculus classes. The students in one section consistently outperformed the students in the other sections and led us to investigate whether discursive practices used by the instructor promoted student learning. The theoretical framework is based on Truxaw's and Sfards' ideas about the functions of discourse and the subsequent development of mathematical ideas. Qualitative analysis using constant comparative and matrix methods indicates that how an instructor invites student participation and responds to students' comments determines the function of the discourse.