Investigating Parental Influences on Sixth Graders’ Mathematical Identity in Greece: A Case Study

In this paper, we present a qualitative study about the parental influences on sixth graders’ mathematical identity. The case study was conducted in a Greek primary school where fifteen children were interviewed through a series of questions for each of the following axes: attainment, attitudes, values, nature of mathematics, self-confidence and child-parent collaboration for homework, in line with the tri-focused model of Abreu and Cline (2003).The analyses drew upon two directions a) the students’ positioning and, b) the types of students’ resources. The results of the conducted analyses revealed qualitative differences with respect to the students’ self-identification; between those who are self-identified as ‘good’ at mathematics and those who identified themselves as being ‘average’ at mathematics. According to our results the parental influences on the construction of the students’ mathematical identity at home is interwoven with their interaction with their parents. The students expressed positive dispositions and beliefs about their ability to participate and perform effectively in mathematical tasks when they collaborated with their parents at home in an environment of confidence.