The incident of the quadratic equations: Recognising exclusion

Abstract

In this paper we explore the hidden nature of girls’ exclusion from mathematics in a Norwegian lower secondary school. Drawing on ethnographic data from a three-year longitudinal study, we focus on a particular incident of ‘choosing’ a challenging task. Viewing the incident through the lens of Figured Worlds we note how the researcher’s perception of mundane acts in the classroom is expanded by witnessing a rupture within one student’s narrative of the incident. As researcher and researched co-construct events, it becomes apparent that equal opportunity in the form of choice does not necessarily deliver inclusion.