Identity That Makes a Difference: Substantial Learning as Closing the Gap between Actual and Designated Identities

In the attempt to account for striking differences between learning activities of immigrant mathematics students from the former Soviet Union and of their native Israeli classmates, we introduce the notions of actual and designated identities. These identities are subsequently presented as important factors that mold learning and influence its effectiveness. Since designated identities may be seen as personalized, “customized” versions of people’s cultural heritages, ours is the story of the wider culture making its way into individual learning processes.