An attempt to investigate the use of mathematics in physics classrooms

We outline a framework to study the use of mathematics in physics classrooms. The framework focuses on the relations made between Reality, Theoretical models and Mathematics. In this paper the analyses of one teacher and her 3rd year classes at secondary school are presented. The results show that phenomena in reality are often used as a short prelude to put focus on the relationship theoretical model and mathematics. Mathematics is generally used in an instrumental way to handle various formulas without further insight or discussion of the related models or their relation to reality. There is a lack of varied communication with a structural use of mathematics, i.e., mathematics used to support reasoning in relation to a theoretical model, highlighting the meaning of concepts and models in the studied classrooms.