Disparate arguments in mathematics classrooms

International audienceUnderstanding students’ classroom argumentation requires the analysis at multiple levels and from multiple perspectives. Using analyses of students’ arguments when solving the Problem of Points we illustrate three perspectives: a classroom interactional perspective, a Stoffdidaktik task analysis (at the individual level), and a sociological theoretical perspective (at the community level). Each of these perspectives offers insights into students’ argumentation in mathematical contexts, but no single one is adequate to completely describe the nature of students’ argumentations, their underlying influences, and ways to support their development. Multiple perspectives and levels of analysis are required when researching classroom argumentation in particular and mathematics learning in general