The November discussion was held on 12th November, 10am-12pm. The abstract and presenter bio of each discussion is outlined below.
Discussion 1: Transitioning to proof via writing scripts on the rules of a new discourse – Igor’ Kontorovich
Learning to prove is a challenging endeavour. Building on the commognitive standpoint, we conceptualize proof-based mathematics as a distinct discourse, the transition to which requires special rules. We investigate newcomers’ learning of these rules when being taught them explicitly. Our data come from academically inclined high-school students who took a special undergraduate course. The course assignment included typical proof-requiring problems and a scriptwriting task, asking students to compose a fictitious dialogue about a proof-related mistake. The analysis showed that while students’ solutions to typical problems required rule implementation, the dialogues involved rule formulation and justification. In many cases, the students discussed the rules, while extending, elaborating, and specifying the teacher’s formulations from the classroom.
Igor’ Kontorovich is an Associate Professor of Mathematics Education at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. His research revolves around the mystery of learning processes and the role of teaching. Igor’s studies concern mathematics education at the secondary and university level. In his research, Igor’ aims to offer theoretically grounded and empirically based insights to improve mathematics education. These insights often emerge from establishing mutually contributing collaborations with mathematicians and school teachers.
Discussion 2: Mathematicians communicating their research to various audiences – Rox-Anne L’Italien-Bruneau
In this presentation, Rox-Anne will offer an overview of her ongoing doctoral research about mathematicians communicating their research to peers from other fields and mathematics education researchers. After discussing the background of this research project, Rox-Anne will introduce concepts from the commognitive framework and present findings about the use of non-specialised expressions and the manifestations of the metaphor of objects in mathematicians’ communication. This presentation aims to open the conversation about the importance and relevance of this type of work in the field of mathematics education
Rox-Anne L’Italien-Bruneau is originally from Montreal, Canada where she did er undergraduate in pure mathematics and master’s in didactic of mathematics. Rox-Anne is in the last year of her doctoral degree at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. Rox-Anne’s research is concerned with mathematics as an activity, with a focus on mathematical practices. Rox-Anne is particularly interested in mathematicians’ practices, and the various roles they play in the field of mathematics education.
Posted Aug 10, 2026
