Abstract

We present the results of a comparative study between the trajectories and modeling strategies mobilized by mathematicians and math teachers to address a hypothetical situation that involves the construction of a mathematical model. The research was conducted within a qualitative approach with a group of math teachers and case study research mathematicians. The results show that the process of building a mathematical model differ primarily by the type of cognitive processes performed in both study groups and paths modeling are dependent of graphical representations that individuals use to address the problem.