1998 Volume 22 Issue 3 Pages 142-154
Students in a Japanese university engaged in a task requiring them to develop and investigate a mathematical model of a physical situation. As novice modellers, what mathematical predispositions did they bring to this task? The study presents a framework for interpreting their responses and looks at differences generated by relatively open and more structured versions of the task. The study discusses the gap between current emphases in the Japanese mathematics curriculum and the skills needed to engage in mathematical modellong.