Abstract
In this chapter, research in mathematics education is defined as a special type of discourse in which potentially useful stories about learning and teaching mathematics are being told. A consistent collection of stories coming from a given discourse is known as a theory. A commognitive version of theory of mathematics learning, made distinct by its foundational assumption about the unity of thinking and communicating, is then presented in accord with this discursive definition.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences
Caspi, S., & Sfard, A. (2012). Spontaneous meta-arithmetic as the first step toward school algebra. Revista de Investigación en Didáctica de la Matematicá, 6(2), 61–71.
Foucault, M. (1972). The archaeology of knowledge. New York: Harper Colophon.
Heyd-Metzuyanim, E. (2013). The co-construction of learning difficulties in mathematics—Teacher–student interactions and their role in the development of a disabled mathematical identity. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 83(3), 341–368.
Knapp, S., & Michaels, B. M. (1982). Against theory. Critical Inquiry, 8(4), 723–742.
Morris, N. (2014). Probability, uncertainty and the tongan way. In P. Liljedahl, S. Oesterle, C. Nicol, & D. Allan (Eds.), Proceedings of PME 38/PME-NA 36 (Vol. 4, pp. 241–248). Vancouver, Canada: PME.
Nachlieli, T., & Tabach, M. (2012). Growing mathematical objects in the classroom—The case of function. International Journal of Educational Research, 51–52, 1–27.
Sfard, A. (2007). When the rules of discourse change, but nobody tells you: Making sense of mathematics learning from a commognitive standpoint. Journal for Learning Sciences, 16(4), 567–615.
Sfard, A., & Lavie, I. (2005). Why cannot children see as the same what grown-ups cannot see as different? Early numerical thinking revisited. Cognition and Instruction, 23(2), 237–309.
Steadman, I. (2013). Big data and the death of the theorist. Wired. http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2013–01/25/big-data-end-of-theory. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
Vygotsky, L. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Wittgenstein, L. (1953/2003). Philosophical investigations: The German text, with a revised English translation (3rd ed.) (G. E. M. Anscombe, Trans.). Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Sfard, A. (2018). On the Need for Theory of Mathematics Learning and the Promise of ‘Commognition’. In: Ernest, P. (eds) The Philosophy of Mathematics Education Today. ICME-13 Monographs. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77760-3_13
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77760-3_13
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-77759-7
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-77760-3
eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)