From "Knowledge Transmission" to "Meaning Construction": A Study on the Application of Symbolic Interactionism in High School Mathematics Teaching

Authors

  • Zhenqiang Lai Clifford school, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 511495, China; Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510275, China

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54097/0xxz6b70

Keywords:

Symbolic Interactionism, High School Mathematics, Mathematical Symbols, Meaning Construction, Core Competencies

Abstract

As a core theory at the intersection of sociology and educational psychology, symbolic interactionism emphasizes the logic of meaning construction that takes symbols as the medium, meaning negotiation as the core, and inter-subjective interaction as the path. It is highly consistent with the symbolic nature, competency-oriented orientation, and classroom interaction attributes of high school mathematics teaching. Currently, high school mathematics teaching generally faces practical dilemmas: "valuing knowledge transmission over meaning construction, valuing algorithm training over symbolic interaction, and valuing one-way lecturing over subject dialogue". Symbolic interactionism provides a brand-new theoretical perspective and practical path to address these dilemmas. This paper systematically elaborates the core connotation and educational implications of symbolic interactionism, and constructs an application framework for high school mathematics teaching from the perspective of symbolic interactionism in line with the core competency requirements of the General High School Mathematics Curriculum Standard (2017 Edition, 2025 Revision). It puts forward specific practical strategies from four dimensions: conceptual symbol generation, problem-solving thinking dialogue, classroom teaching interaction, and core competency development, so as to provide a new paradigm for the theoretical innovation and practice of high school mathematics teaching.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

[1] Distéfano, M. L., Aznar, M. A., & Pochulu, M. D. (2016). Prácticas Matemáticas Y Funciones Semióticas En La Significación De Representaciones Simbólicas De La Matemática Superior. Revista electrónica de investigación en educación en ciencias, 11(2), 1–15. https://www.scielo.org.ar/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1850-66662016000200001&lng=en&tlng=es. DOI: https://doi.org/10.54343/reiec.v11i2.212

[2] Mendez, J. A., & van Es, E. A. (2025). Examining teachers' relational noticing: promoting equity through positive interactions in mathematics education. Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, 28(7), 1541–1566. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10857-024-09635-5

[3] Mead, G. H. (1934). Mind, self, and society from the standpoint of a social behaviorist. University of Chicago Press.

[4] Blumer, H. (1986). Symbolic interactionism: Perspective and method. University of California Press.

[5] Aksan, N., Kısac, B., Aydın, M., & Demirbuken, S. (2009). Symbolic interaction theory. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 1(1), 902–904. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2009.01.160

[6] Waldbuesser, C. (2019). Who are you? Teaching symbolic interaction and perceptions of the self in the classroom. Communication Teacher, 33(2), 99–102. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17404622.2018.1536798

[7] Quin, D., Hemphill, S. A., & Heerde, J. A. (2017). Associations between teaching quality and secondary students’ behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement in school. Social Psychology of Education, 20(4), 807–829. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-017-9401-2

[8] Eckert, A., & Nilsson, P. (2017). Introducing a symbolic interactionist approach on teaching mathematics: The case of revoicing as an interactional strategy in the teaching of probability. Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, 20(1), 31–48. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10857-015-9313-z

[9] Wang, Z. (2025). The Integration Strategy of Traditional Cultural Elements in the Cultivation of Core Mathematical Literacy in Primary Schools. Journal of Social Science Humanities and Literature, 8(8), 48–50. DOI: https://doi.org/10.53469/jsshl.2025.08(08).07

[10] Alibali, M. W., Meng, R., Donovan, A. M., Ding, M., & Yeo, A. (2024). How teachers make connections among ideas in mathematics instruction. Advances in Child Development and Behavior, 66, 137–167. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.acdb.2024.06.003

[11] Asante Britwum, B., Ntow, F. D., & Smith, J. A. (2024). Influence of teaching approaches on senior high school students’ mathematical mindset. SAGE Open, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440241237060. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440241237060

[12] Darmanova, Z., Abylkassymova, A., & Nurmukhamedova, Z. (2025). A systematic review of technology use in middle and high school mathematics education: insights from contextual, methodological, and evaluation characteristics. Frontiers in Education, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1644284. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1644284

[13] Weingarden, M., & Ehrenfeld, N. (2025). From a classroom situation to teacher interaction: a multilayered conceptualization of representations of practice for mathematics teacher learning. Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10857-025-09720-3

[14] Lan, X., Zhou, Y., Wijaya, T. T., Wu, X., & Purnama, A. (2021). The effect of dynamic mathematics software on mathematical problem solving ability. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1882(1), 012059. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1882/1/012059. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1882/1/012059

[15] Menninga, A., Van Geert, P., Van Vondel, S., Steenbeek, H., & Van Dijk, M. (2022). Teacher-student interaction patterns change during an early science teaching intervention. Research in Science Education, 52(5), 1497–1523. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-021-09997-3

[16] Qu, R., & Zhao, Y. (2024). Research on Strategies for Cultivating Students' Core Competencies in High School Mathematics Classrooms. Journal of Modern Educational Theory and Practice, 1(3). DOI: https://doi.org/10.70767/jmetp.v1i3.452

Downloads

Published

22-10-2026

Issue

Section

Articles