Introduction to Section III

Abstract

The contributions of the first section of the book looked in detail at symbolizing and modeling by making fine-grained analyses of the spontaneous and informal processes of construction and use of mathematical symbols and models by children and students in more or less experimental instructional settings. In the second section of the book, the pro-active role of teachers and of instructional design was highlighted. Section III addresses some remaining theoretical issues related to learning and teaching of mathematical symbols and models, thereby relying on multiple perspectives including cultural, sociological, philosophical and historical ones.