Motives in Mathematics Investigative Tasks as Appropriations of Social Discourse in the Light of Activity Theory

Resumo

This article presents a discussion of students’ motives for participating in investigative tasks in the mathematics classroom, through the lens of Activity Theory. It begins with the assumption that the motives are varied and emerge in the maze of activities in which individuals participate and in which they develop. The qualitative analysis of the data, obtained through interviews, showed that motives which lead students to participation in investigative tasks are related to the tasks, but not exclusively. The social setting for the students may be very or, even more, important, for the emergence of the motives.