Beyond discourse and interaction. Variation: a critical aspect for teaching and learning mathematics

Abstract

In this article a theory of learning, variation theory, is presented in order to address the ‘provocation’ created by the relationship between theoretical positions and findings in research and what these do and do not disclose. I demonstrate how this can be used as an analytical tool for studying classroom learning in mathematics by juxtaposing an analysis of the same data made from other theoretical positions with that from a variation theoretical perspective. By this means, I demonstrate that the inclusion of what is learned, i.e., the object of learning, is significant for understanding classroom learning. Further, variation theory is suggested as a complement to other theoretical perspectives due to its power to reveal constraints on what it is possible to learn in mathematics classrooms.