Artefacts teach-math. The meaning construction of trigonometric functions

Abstract

Trigonometry is an area of the high school mathematics curriculum strictly related to algebraic, geometric, and graphical reasoning. In spite of its importance to both high school and advanced mathematics, research has shown that trigonometry remains a difficult topic for both students and teachers. A new approach the teaching of trigonometry – calibrated for the 21st century – opens the question of the place and nature of trigonometry in contemporary high school mathematics. In this prospective, the authors have carried out a study aimed at explaining connections between research and teaching practice of trigonometric functions emphasizing conceptual understanding, multiple representation and connections, mathematical modelling, and mathematical problem-solving. This paper shows a teaching approach for meaning construction of trigonometric functions with the aid of technological artefacts.