A Research Synthesis Using Instrumental Learning Trajectories: Knowing How and Knowing Why

Abstract

In the current study the theoretical notion of instrumental learning path or trajectory is analyzed through examples based on a research synthesis. I point out the role of instrumental decoding in a static or dynamic environment, and how the competence of the participants (students –researcher/ teacher) can influence the holistic result of the learning process by creating interdependencies/intra-dependencies during the construction of instrumental learning trajectories. Instrumental trajectories are not just construction instructions, or a set of information which provides the properties of the figure as the figure is constructed. Instrumental trajectories can show us the interdependencies/intra-dependencies that exist or can be created between different tools. Dynamic Geometry allows for the creation of interdependencies and intra-dependencies between mathematical objects, diagrams and tools. In the sections that follow, I shall present three examples of instrumental learning trajectories, in which the interdependencies among the tools and meanings are analyzed. My aim is to combine and synthesize different primary qualitative research studies and make their results more generalizable.

Keywords: instrumental decoding, interdependencies/intra-dependencies, instrumental learning trajectories

DOI: 10.7176/IKM/11-3-02

Publication date: April 30^th 2021