This thesis explores and problematises student agency in a New Zealand primary maths classroom. Although the term is widely used, the concept of student agency is less understood and definitions vary. There is an urgency for a common definition of student agency in maths to realise its potential for learners. This research focuses on understanding how student agency can be fostered during collaborative maths challenge lessons in a typical classroom from a teacher-researcher perspective.

Student agency is explored through the experiences of twenty-five students using a qualitative case study design. The main data sources were participant observations, focus group interviews (using stimulated recall) and student agency reflections written by the students. Data were collected during 11 maths lessons, over a 9-month period and analysed using a thematic analysis process.

The students exercised influence and control in the maths lessons by making many choices. The justifications for their decisions included personal learning orientations, maths learning intentions and intentions to fulfil the classroom norms. Thinking and talking about mathematical choices supported the students to become more aware of their decisions and actions in future maths lessons.

My findings highlight the conditions necessary to foster agency in maths. These findings pertain to deliberate teacher strategies. The first is paying attention to learner intentions associated with social relationships and maths choices. The second relates to planning and setting up the mathematical task, the lesson structure and routines, and the establishment of a maths learning community to reinforce student agency. The remaining finding is about teacher responsiveness and in-the-moment encounters with students to further their agency. Within this context, examples include the encouragement of talk for maths sense-making, students’ sense of belonging and the co-construction of classroom norms.

This study contributes to the understanding of the concept of student agency in the maths classroom. It demonstrates possible actions by classroom teachers to create the conditions for student agency and students’ responses through the choice of maths methods, representations and equipment.