Mathematics education in a knowledge market: Developing functional and critical competencies

In this chapter, I address some of the conceptual uncertainties related to the field of mathematics education. First, I discuss the notions of mathematics and knowledge in action. Next, I discuss mathematics in action as a particular example of knowledge in action. Mathematics in action plays a particular role in the knowledge society. This brings me to consider mathematical competencies in the knowledge market. I raise the question of what it could mean for competencies and action to be functional or critical. Had I been able to answer this question, I would have provided a clarifying characteristic of what could be the meaning of critical mathematics education. However, my chapter ends with me being in doubt, as throughout the whole analysis, I have drawn heavily on unstable, run-away concepts.