A Semiotic Perspective of Mathematical Activity

A semiotic perspective of mathematical activity provides an alternative way of conceptualising the teaching and learning of mathematics. For it rejects the wholly psychological perspective that focuses exclusively on mental structures and functions. It also rejects the straightforwardly assessment or performance focussed perspective that is concerned only with student behaviors. Instead it offers a novel synthesis that encompasses but also transcends these two perspectives, driven by a primary focus on signs and sign use in mathematics. Beyond the traditional psychological focus on mental structures and functions it considers the personal appropriation of signs and the underlying meaning structures embodying relationships between signs. Beyond behavioral performance it is concerned with patterns of sign use and production, including individual creativity in sign use, and the underlying social rules and contexts of sign use. Thus a semiotic approach draws together the individual and social dimensions to mathematical activity which are understood as mutually dependent and constitutive aspects of the teaching and learning of mathematics.