The role of contextual familiarity in the generation of epistemic semiotic conflicts

Abstract

[Objective] This study analyses how familiarity with the extra-mathematical context influences the generation of epistemic semiotic conflicts between the institution setting the problem and the real world. [Methodology] This is a theoretical study that relates the solver’s familiarity with the context to the notion of epistemic semiotic conflict within the Ontosemiotic Approach, in which the selection of examples is methodologically justified by their ability to clearly illustrate the theoretical notion of the level of epistemic conflict between school mathematics and the real world. [Results] It is emphasised that familiarity with the context can both facilitate and hinder understanding, and four levels of epistemic conflict are presented, with specific examples, depending on whether students interpret the problem as being  and are willing to challenge the institution that poses it; it also demonstrates how these epistemic conflicts can be exploited pedagogically to transform problems of low authenticity into profound modelling tasks [Conclusion] This paper explores the conversion of application problems into modelling problems by capitalising on the epistemic conflict created by the student’s familiarity with the extra-mathematical context presented in the problem, which is a novel approach, and emphasises the importance of recognising and valuing interpretations based on everyday knowledge as part of mathematical learning.