Mathematical Modelling and Culture: An Empirical Study

Abstract

This chapter presents partial results of a qualitative case study involving five students from a rural educational institution. The students, motivated by making sense of mathematics beyond the classroom, chose topics for the mathematical modelling of coffee farming. They detected some variables found in the cultural practice of coffee growing and then limited the modelling problem so some of their beliefs began to emerge. Results show that some students’ beliefs about culture or contextual knowledge did not remain static throughout the study.