Analyzing the Power Relationships in Mathematics Classroom

Traditional mathematics education research is based on mathematics and psychology, but its function is limited. In the end of the 1980's, the social research of mathematics education appeared. The research views are from sociology, anthropology, and cultural psychology, and then it is an exterior research. The social research considers the relations, power, situation, context, etc. This paper analyzes the power relationship in mathematics classroom. Firstly, the power is defined. The meaning of the power is the foundation of this paper. Secondly, the power relationships in mathematics classroom are analyzed. The traditional mathematics classroom and collaborative learning classroom are considered. Thirdly, the paper analyzes the power resources and finds the some important factors that affect the power distribution.