Collaborative work is widely valued in education, spanning group projects, presentations, and research interactions. While students are often given definitions of what successful collaboration should look like, they rarely receive guidance on how to develop the skills to engage meaningfully. This can lead to superficial or frustrating experiences. In this talk, I present how theory-based approaches, including Boundary Crossing and Dialogical Inquiry, can help us understand the social and cognitive processes underpinning collaboration. Viewing collaborative learning through these lenses highlights how reflective dialogue and knowledge co-construction can be fostered, transforming collaborative activities into meaningful and rewarding mathematical experiences. These skills, including the ability to collaborate across disciplines, are vital for students’ development within and beyond academia.