Modelling in Mathematics education: different ways to practice and understand

Resumen

This paper presents an essay aiming to introduce modelling in mathematics education to teachers who do not know it and summarize some of its characteristics to the ones who already know it. Starting with four practical examples, whose configuration varies from typical textbook tasks to more open and broader projects, the objective in this paper is to illustrate different ways of putting modelling into practice in educational contexts. My argument is that there is relative flexibility in the ways of conducting modelling activities, which gives teachers greater freedom to choose how to practice and to adapt them, according to their conceptions and the conditions of the school or other context in which they work. After the examples, I present some classifications of mathematical modelling activities proposed in the literature, according to the complexity of the task, the way the task is presented, the role played by students and the teacher in the activity, and the central aim in different modelling perspectives. Finally, I present some paths to find the community who works with modelling in mathematics education, both in Brazil and internationally.