Negotiating the Use of Mathematics in a Mathematical Modelling Project

Abstract

Our goal, in this chapter, is to present the negotiation between a student – Maria Estela – and the teacher, on how to use mathematics in a mathematical modelling project. The study is based on a qualitative analysis of empirical data from a meeting of Maria Estela’s group with the teacher to progress the modelling project. It was the first time that Maria Estela had participated in such an activity and she, as well as her group, did not know how to model mathematically the phenomenon they were studying. From our analysis, we were able to understand that the negotiation between the teacher and Maria Estela was crucial to the continuation of the group project. The negotiation, at the time the group was making decisions, revealed different understandings about how to use mathematics and gave rise to a negotiation space, leading to an approach different from those considered appropriate, at the beginning, by both the teacher and Maria Estela.