Mathematical discourses of a teacher and a visually impaired pupil on number sequences: Divergence, convergence or both?

Résumé En

Research on the inclusion of visually impaired (VI) pupils in mainstream classrooms is underdeveloped in mathematics education. This paper investigates mathematical discourses of a teacher and a VI pupil in a classroom episode on number sequences. We see that, while the teacher considers the pupil’s enthusiastically demonstrated mathematical contribution which differs from the institutional one, she draws on it to guide him in responding within the institutional mathematical discourse. We then see the pupil responding within the teacher’s expectations but less enthusiastically. We explore the teacher’s reaction in terms of whether it evidences valuing of the pupil’s initial mathematical contribution and whether it is potentially excluding. We propose an alternative, more explicitly inclusive way forward in which the teacher can play along with non-prevalent mathematical contributions and bring these also to the whole class, to the benefit of all.