The meaning in mathematical modelling activities: a look at Brazilian research

Abstract

In this article we examine studies that analyze the meaning in the development of mathematical modelling activities aimed to presenting a scenery with respect to the question: How is understood the meaning in the development of mathematical modeling activities in Brazilian research? For this purpose we analyzed texts from two journals, two events, and a book edited by the GT of Mathematical Modelling. Hundred and two files were surveyed; in forty-three of them the authors refer to meaning of which eleven use some theoretical assumption to treat this reference. The mapping and discussion of selected academic production has allowed us to be clear that the allocation / production of meaning is considered one of the purposes of introducing modelling activities in different educational contexts. If in many studies the notion of meaning is used intuitively and without reference to a theory, in others we could identify theoretical perspectives that support the arguments of the authors. What can we infer from the analysis of these studies is that in modelling activities meaning go beyond the creation of the word association between word (or sign) and object but is constituted through relationships, uses and products that will show during the development of the activity.