The object-tool duality in mathematical modelling. A framework to analyze students’ appropriation of Sankey diagrams to model dynamic processes

Authors

  • Pauline Vos University of Agder, Norway
  • Peter Frejd Linköping University, Sweden

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35763/aiem.v0i17.305

Keywords:

Appropriation, mathematical modelling, object-tool duality, relevance (of mathematics), Sankey diagrams

Abstract

Students often do not experience the relevance of learning mathematics. This paper reports on an exploratory case study, in which a class of grade 8 students (n=35) was introduced to Sankey diagrams. The aim was to explore to what extent these students could appropriate Sankey diagrams, meaning: they could describe these as objects in themselves and they could use them to model and visualize phenomena relevant to them. Based on Cultural-Historical Activity Theory, we developed an analytical construct defined as the object-tool duality, coordinating mathematics as a set of objects and as a set of tools. The analysis of students’ answers showed that they could use these diagrams as tools to visualize phenomena. When asked to describe the object, all mentioned the tool-side. So, in their appropriation the tool-side came before the object-side. Our contribution is that teaching the tool-side of mathematics
before the object-side may increase students’ sense of the relevance of mathematics, which is a topic to develop for future research.

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Published

2020-05-01

How to Cite

Vos, P., & Frejd, P. (2020). The object-tool duality in mathematical modelling. A framework to analyze students’ appropriation of Sankey diagrams to model dynamic processes. Advances of Research in Mathematics Education, (17), 52–66. https://doi.org/10.35763/aiem.v0i17.305

Issue

No. 17 (2020)

Section

Artículos

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