Mathematical Modelling Tasks and the Mathematical Thinking of Students

Abstract

This chapter describes a study that aims to illustrate how the interaction between mathematical modelling tasks and students’ mathematical thinking takes place. We based the study upon David Tall’s theory about mathematical thinking regarding mathematical modelling as a pedagogical way to teach mathematics. The research took place in the last year of a university course, with education students undertaking a mathematics degree. A qualitative approach was used with an interpretative analysis to infer points from data collected through audio recordings, video, quizzes, and written data. We have concluded that mathematical modelling can provide, and require the development of cognitive processes that promote interactions between “elementary” and “advanced” mathematical thinking through the cognitive processes of representation, abstraction and generalization.