Increasing students' performance in school-based mathematics is a constant focus that is fueled by differences in students' performance outcomes. Research that examines students' experiences with learning mathematics has shown that students take on different ways of knowing that either align or are at odds with the type of classroom instruction they receive. The research has shown that these preferences tend to fall along gendered lines. This study uses student interview data to argue that knower types (ways of knowing) fall more generally along social identity lines, and that this phenomenon is influenced by the interaction of identity and social construction. The framework and findings of this project also provide a new lens for understanding and interrogating "gaps" in students' math performance and differences in math trajectories. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]