Reflections on TRRS in the construction of mathematical knowledge: understanding the role of representations in learning

Abstract

In this study, we analyze representation modes and transition processes in register changes in Mathematics learning. The aim of this research is to understand how the representations chosen by students throughout activities contribute to learning. Students employ different forms of representation to facilitate the understanding and exploration of mathematical object registers. The processes involving the universe of representations do not emerge as definitive answers to all desired discoveries but function as a map constructed from logical clues. Within the framework of the Theory of Semiotic Representation Registers (TSRR), signs are not limited to means of signification or reference to an object; they act as instruments of thought, understanding, reasoning, and learning. From this perspective, certain tasks are directly related to cognition in mathematical activity. The methodology adopted was based on a Literature Review process. The analyzed studies indicate that TSRR can assist in understanding the visualization of a mathematical object, that is, how it is perceived, identified, associated, interpreted, and conceptualized. Thus, the application of this theory contributes to understanding the processes of teaching and learning Mathematics.