The APOS Paradigm for Research and Curriculum Development

Abstract

n the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, the word paradigm is defined in the following way: “a philosophical and theoretical framework of a scientific school or discipline within which theories, laws, and generalizations and experiments performed in support of them are formulated; broadly: a philosophical or theoretical framework of any kind.” This definition reflects the contemporary meaning of the term coined by Kuhn (1962), who spoke of two characteristics of a “paradigm”: A theory powerful enough to “attract an enduring group of researchers” (p. 10) and to provide enough open ends to sustain the researchers with topics requiring further study. In light of these considerations, the overarching research stance linked to APOS Theory is referred to as a paradigm, since (1) it differs from most mathematics education research in its theoretical approach, methodology, and types of results offered; (2) it contains theoretical, methodological, and pedagogical components that are closely linked together; (3) it continues to attract researchers who find it useful to answer questions related to the learning of numerous mathematical concepts, and (4) it continues to supply open-ended questions to be resolved by the research community.