Abstract
In this paper we discuss topics that are relevant for designing a theory of mathematics education. More precisely, they are elements of a pre-theory of mathematics education and consist of a set of interdisciplinary ideas which may lead to understand what occurs in the central nervous system—our metaphor for the classroom, and eventually, in larger educational settings. In particular, we highlight the crucial role of representations, the mediation role of artifacts, symbols viewed from an evolutionary perspective, and mathematics as symbolic technology.
This paper is dedicated to Jim Kaput (1942–2005), whose work on representations and technology is an inspiration to us all.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Abramovich, & Pieper (1996). Fostering recursive thinking in combinatorics through the use of manipulatives and computer technology. The Mathematics Educator, 7(1), 4–12.
Bailey, D., & Borwein, P. (2001). Mathematics Unlimited 2001 and Beyond. Berlin: Springer-Verlag. B. Engquist and W. Schmid (Eds.).
Balacheff, N., & Kaput, J. (1996). Computer-based learning environment in mathematics. In A. J. Bishop et al. (Eds.), International Handbook of Mathematical Education (pp. 469–501). Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Batanero, C., & Godino, J. D. (1998). Understanding graphical and numerical representations of statistical association. In A Computer Environment. V International Conference on Teaching Statistics, Singapore.
Connes, A., Lichnerowicz, A., & Schützenberger, M. (2001). Triangle of Thoughts. Providence, RI: American Mathematical Society.
Courant, R., & Robbins, H. (1996). What is Mathematics? New York: Oxford U. Press.
Dauben, J.W. (1990). Georg Cantor: His Mathematics and Philosophy of Infinite. Princeton: Princeton Univ. Press.
Davis, P., & Hersh, R. (1986). The Mathematical Experience. Boston: Birkhäuser.
Deacon, T. (1997). The Symbolic Species. New York: W.W. Norton and Company.
Donald, M. (2001). A Mind so Rare. New York: Norton.
Dietrich, O. (2004). Cogntive evolution. In F. M. Wuketits & C. Antweiler (Eds.), Hanbook of Evolution (pp. 25–77). Weinheim: Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co.
Flegg, G. (1983). Numbers: Their History and Meaning. Baltimore: Penguin.
Gleick, J. (1992). Genius. New York: Pantheon.
Goedel, K. (1983). What is Cantor’s continuum problem? In Benacerraf & Putnam (Eds.), Philosophy of Mathematics (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge U. Press.
Goldin, G. (2004). Problem solving heuristics, affect, and discrete mathematics. International Reviews on Mathematical Education, 36(2), 56–60.
Goldin, G. A. (1998). Representational systems, learning, and problem solving in mathematics. Journal of Mathematical Behavior, 17(2), 137–165.
Goldin, G. A., & Kaput, J. J. (1996). A joint perspective on the idea of representation in learning and doing mathematics. In L. Steffe, P. Nesher, P. Cobb, G. A. Goldin, & B. Greer (Eds.), Theories of Mathematical Learning (pp. 397–430). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Goldstein, C. (1999). La naissance du Nombre en Mesopotamie. La Recherche, L’Univers des Nombres (hors de serie).
Guin, D., & Trouche, L. (1999). The complex process of converting tools into mathematical instruments: The case of calculators. International Journal of Computers for Mathematical Learning, 3, 195–227.
Joseph, G. G. (1992). The Crest of the Peacock. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Kline, M. (1962). Mathematics: A Cultural Approach. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
Kline, M. (1980). Mathematics, The Loss of Certainty. New York: Oxford University Press.
Lakatos, I. (1976). Proofs and Refutations. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Maturana, H. R. (1980). Biology of cognition. In Autopoiesis and Cognition (pp. 2–62). Boston Studies in the Philosophy of Science. Boston: Reidel.
Miller, Kelly, & Zhou (2005). In Handbook of Mathematical Cognition (pp. 163–178).
Moreno, L. A., & Sriraman, B. (2005). Structural stability and dynamic geometry: Some ideas on situated proofs. International Reviews on Mathematical Education, 37(3), 130–139.
Ong, W. (1998). Orality and Literacy. London: Routledge.
Otte, M. (2006). Mathematical epistemology from a Peircean point of view. Educational Studies of Mathematics, 61(1–2).
Peitgen, Jürgen, & Saupe (1992). Fractals for the Classroom (Vol. 1). New York: Springer-Verlag.
Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (NCTM), 2000.
Rabardel, P. (1995). Les hommes et les technologies. Approche cognitive des instruments contemporains. Paris: Armand Colin.
Sriraman, B. (2004). Discovering Steiner triple systems through problem solving. The Mathematics Teacher, 97(5), 320–326.
Thurston, W. P. (1994). On proof and progress in mathematics. Bulletin of the American Mathematical Society, 30(2), 161–177.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1981). The instrumental method in psychology. In J. Wertsch (Ed.), The Concept of Activity in Soviet Psychology (pp. 135–143). Armonk, N.Y.: Sharpe.
Wertsch, J. W. (1991). Voices of the Mind. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Univ. Press.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Moreno-Armella, L., Sriraman, B. (2010). Symbols and Mediation in Mathematics Education. In: Sriraman, B., English, L. (eds) Theories of Mathematics Education. Advances in Mathematics Education. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-00742-2_22
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-00742-2_22
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-00741-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-00742-2
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and LawEducation (R0)