Skip to main content
Log in

Signs and the process of interpretation: sign as an object and as a process

  • Published:
Studies in Philosophy and Education Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Historically the words representation and symbol have had overlapping meanings, meanings that usually disregard the role played by the interpreter. Peirce’s theory of signs accounts for these meanings and also for the role of the interpreter. His theory draws attention to the static and dynamic nature of signs. Sign interpretation can be viewed as a continuous dynamic and evolving process. The static and dynamic nature of signs helps us understand the teaching–learning activity as a process of interpretation on the part of teacher and students. The paper attempts to explain the classroom interpretation process on the part of the actors involved using the Peircean theory of signs.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Chart 5
Chart 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bauersfeld, H. (1998). About the notion of culture in mathematics education. In F. Seeger, J. Voigt, & U. Waschescio (Eds.), The culture of the mathematics classroom (pp. 375–389). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brousseau, G. (1997). In Theory of didactical situations in mathematics. N. Balacheff, M. Cooper, R. Sutherland, & V. Warfield (Eds.), Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Press.

  • Buchler, J. (1955). Philosophical writings of Peirce. New York: Dover Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Condillac, E. B. (1971/1756). An essay on the origin of human knowledge. Translated by R. G. Weyant. Gainesville, Florida: Scholars’ Fascimiles & Reprints.

  • Corrington, R. (1993). An introduction to C. S. Peirce: Philosopher, semiotician, and ecstatic naturalist. Lanhan, Maryland Publishers: Rowman & Littlefield.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dascal, M. (1987). Leibniz: Language signs and thought. Amsterdam: Benjamins.

    Google Scholar 

  • Donald, M. (1991). Origins of the modern mind: Three stages in the evolution of culture and cognition. Cambridge Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldin, G., & Kaput, J. (1996). A joint perspective on the idea of representation in learning and doing mathematics. In L. Steffe, P. Nesher, P. Cobb, G. Goldin, & B. Greer (Eds.), Theories of learning mathematics (pp. 159–196). Hillsdale, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldin, G., & Janvier, C. (1998). Representations and the psychology of mathematics education. Journal of Mathematical Behavior, 17(1), 1–4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hersh, R. (1979). Some proposal for reviving the philosophy of mathematics. Advances in Mathematics, 31, 31–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mason, J. (1987). What do symbols represent?. In Janvier C. (eds), Problems of representation on the teaching and learning of mathematics (pp. 73–81). Hillsdale, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morris, C. W. (1938/1970). Foundations of the theory of signs. Chicago: Chicago University Press.

  • Morris, C. W. (1946/1971). Signs, language, and behavior. In C. W. Morris (Ed.), Writings on the general theory of signs (pp. 415–433). The Hague: Mouton.

  • Nöth, W. (1990). Handbook of semiotics. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Otte, M. (1998). Limits of constructivism: Kant, Piaget, and Peirce. Science and Education, 7, 425–450.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peirce, C. S. (1868b). On a new list of categories. In N. Houser & C. Kloesel (Eds.), The essential Peirce (Vol. 1–2 (1867–1893), pp. 1–10). Indiana University Press: Bloomington, Indiana.

  • Peirce, C. S. (1903). The three normative sciences. In The essential Peirce (Vol. 2 (1893–1913), pp. 196–207) The Peirce Edition Project (Ed.), Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press.

  • Peirce, C. S. (1906). Pragmatism in retrospect: A last formulation. In J. Buchler (Ed.), Philosophical writings of Peirce (1955, pp. 269–289). New York: Dover Publications.

  • Peirce, C. S. (1974). Collected Paper (CP) (Vols. 1–6). C. Hartshorne, & P. Weiss (Eds.), Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. (Reference is made to volumes and paragraphs).

  • Peirce, C. S. (1976). The new elements of mathematics (NEM). (C. Eisele (Ed.), Volumen IV of the collection mathematical philosophy). Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey: Humanities Press. (Reference is made to volumes and paragraphs).

  • The American Heritage Dictionary. (1991). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

  • The Random House Thesaurus: College Editions. (1984). New York: Random House.

  • Wilder, R. (1968). The evolution of mathematical concepts. Milton Keynes England: The Open University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams, R. (1983). Keywords: A vocabulary of culture and society. New york: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Glasersfeld, E. (1987). Preliminaries to any theory of representation. In C. Janvier (Eds.), Problems of representation in the teaching and learning of mathematics. Hillsdale, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Adalira Sáenz-Ludlow.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sáenz-Ludlow, A. Signs and the process of interpretation: sign as an object and as a process. Stud Philos Educ 26, 205–223 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11217-007-9028-4

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11217-007-9028-4

Keywords

Navigation