Forms of knowledge and knowing in mathematics education: Informed by concept study based on complexity theory

This paper addresses forms of knowledge and ways to come to know the truth through concept study based on complexity theory. I participated in the workshop conducted on March 2015 at the University of Alberta in Canada. In particular, I designed and facilitated the activities based on pi using concept-study as a model for professional development. My intention in using the activities based on concept study model was to elaborate teachers’ and teachers educators’ understandings of the mathematics teaching and learning pi. The workshop involved a group of doctoral students in mathematics education in a discussion. The data from the discussion were collected through video recordings. I used a qualitative approach to analyse data. After the discussion, we found that the activities helped pre-service teachers to develop their understanding of the concept in a variety of ways, including realizing the open definitions of pi. These findings have implications in the teaching and learning of the concept with both pre-service and in-service teachers