Weaving mathematics across contexts: a theoretical-methodological framework for researching classroom–museum continuity

Abstract

Museums are increasingly recognised as relevant settings for mathematics education beyond school, yet classroom–museum continuity remains undertheorised. This theoretical-methodological conceptual paper addresses continuity as a research object and asks how mathematical activity remains intelligible across contexts shaped by different material, institutional, and sociocultural conditions. It proposes a theoretical-methodological framework combining Informal Mathematics Education, museum experience as contextual configuration, double didactical continuity, and continuity across sociocultural difference. Organised through the Contextual Model of Learning, the framework shifts attention from the visit to the distributed learning environment woven across classroom and museum. A worked example illustrates its analytic use. The paper closes by outlining methodological implications for researching continuity across contexts.