Using social semiotics to explore institutional assumptions about mathematics students and teachers

Candia Morgan

pp. 139-154

in: Norma Presmeg, Luis Radford, Wolff-Michael Roth, Gert Kadunz (eds), Signs of signification, Berlin, Springer, 2018

Abstract

In this chapter I present some theoretical principles and analytical tools of social semiotics, discussing how they may contribute to mathematics education research. Two examples are offered. The first shows how the way an examination question is written construes the nature of mathematical activity; I consider how this may function for different students. The second example uses thematic analysis to look at a corpus of official documents, asking what activities are made available in these texts for teachers and students.