Mathematical thinking and social construction of meanings in distance contexts: the role of the teacher

This paper examines the role of the teacher in fostering students to think mathematically and to socially construct mathematical meanings in distance teaching contexts. Findings from two teaching activities, carried out during the pandemic, are presented and discussed in order to contribute to the discussion on whether and how teachers can foster students’ learning when teaching mathematics with technology in distance contexts. The first activity involved twenty-three 9th-grade students in a dice situation aimed at recognising regularities, conjecturing and verifying, communicating online with peers. The second activity was carried out online with a small group of 12th-grade students with the aim to socially construct the meaning of rotation with its main properties through the use of GeoGebra. The analysis of the teacher’s intervention during the discussions shows that the teacher’s ability in orchestrating the activities allows students to develop their learning.