| Summary: | The aim of this study is to fill the gap in mathematics education research concerning the relationship between identity and positioning in mathematical collaboration in groups. This study elaborates on the relationship between how pupils see themselves as math students in sixth grade, how they show their identities as math students, in contrast to how they position themselves reflexively in group collaboration while engaging in mathematical problem solving. The theoretical concepts linked to this study are discourse, identity and positioning. Discourse is used to describe and form the setting and context of the study. Identity is seen as a transient and elusive concept formed by the students own perceptions of self through narratives. The reflexive form of positioning, where the students choose to position themselves in discourse, is derived from acts and speech in group collaboration. This form of positioning is then used as comparison to the narratives of identity to explore the relationship between these two concepts. Data has been collected through participative observation and dialogue, and discourse analysis is partially used to identify the relationship. The results may have implications for future structuring and planning of mathematics education in our classrooms, and the findings provide a narrowing of the gap in mathematics education research within this area. The findings also open up new questions concerning the social constructions of identity among children. Finally, the findings related to the need of reflexive positioning among children in their early teens, and how educators can benefit from this need, are other aspects worth further research.
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