A Theoretical Model of Mathematics for Teaching the Concept of Function

Abstract

This paper presents a study using a discursive perspective to develop a theoretical model of Mathematics for Teaching of the function concept, employing the following sources: a systematic review of the research literature, two series of textbooks and a discussion study with a group of teachers. The model presents a descriptive language with a theoretical structure that relies fundamentally on the realization and recognition rules inspired in Basil Bernstein's theory. Also, the model is based on categories of realizations (landscapes) of the concept of function. The landscapes that make up the model are the tabular, diagram, algebraic, transformation machine, graphic, pattern generalization and formal landscapes. The model provides a discursive transparency for the communication about function, which may inform curriculum development and curriculum material design for students and teachers as well as planning strategies to address this topic in educational contexts.