Commentary on Theories of Mathematics Education

On Networking Strategies and Theories’
Compatibility: Learning from an Effective
Combination of Theories in a Research Project
Helga Jungwirth
Introduction
In their article in this volume Bikner-Ahsbahs and Prediger provide a comprehensive
introduction into the networking of theories in mathematics education. My contribution
illustrates the networking of theories being described and discussed by an
example from my research. I address the strategies for connection having been used
in that case, demonstrate how that linking really worked by applying it to a concrete
piece of data, and reflect upon theories’ preconditions that helped to make networking
a fruitful business.
The background is the Austrian research project “Gender–Computers–Maths&
Science Teaching” (Jungwirth and Stadler, 2005–2007) that aimed at a reconstruction
of participants’ “relationships” to mathematics, physics and computers
in computer-based classrooms, and of the role gender plays within the interactive
development of those relationships (Jungwirth 2008b; for the mathematics-related
part). In this contribution I want to deal with the theories used and their networking
restricted to mathematics classrooms (Jungwirth 2008a; for the findings concerning
mathematics teaching apart from gender aspects). Though my intention is not to
present the study itself I should mention for a better understanding of some references
to findings and examples that data consisted of 21 common Austrian, mostly
CAS-based mathematics lessons, that all were videotaped and transcribed, and analyzed
according to the standards of the qualitative (“interpretative”) research within
the German speaking community of mathematics education (Beck and Maier 1994;
Bikner-Ahsbahs 2002; Jungwirth 2003; Voigt 1990).
Apart from theorizing those relationships to mathematics, physics and computers,
a theoretical approach to classroom processes being appropriate for a comparison
of both subjects had to be developed. It had to provide a notion of teaching as an
ongoing process (in order to scaffold the investigation of the establishment of relationships)
and as a whole (in order to be able to specify the contextual conditions of
both subjects). Previous research (Jungwirth 1993, 1996) suggested a use of microsociological
theories and of a supplementary theory that was located in the context
H. Jungwirth ()
Freelance scholar, Munich, Germany
e-mail: hejun@t-online.de
B. Sriraman, L. English (eds.), Theories of Mathematics Education,
Advances in Mathematics Education,
DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-00742-2_49, © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2010
519