Vygotsky’s Theory of Concept Formation and Mathematics Education
نویسنده
چکیده
I argue that Vygotsky’s theory of concept formation (1986) is a powerful framework within which to explore how an individual at university level constructs a new mathematical concept. In particular, this theory is able to bridge the divide between an individual’s mathematical knowledge and the body of socially sanctioned mathematical knowledge. It can also be used to explain how idiosyncratic usages of mathematical signs by students (particularly when just introduced to a new mathematical object) get transformed into mathematically acceptable usages and it can be used to elucidate the link between usages of mathematical signs and the attainment of meaningful mathematical concepts by an individual.
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