Learning communities in mathematics: creating an inquiry community between teachers and didacticians

This paper reports on a project designed to develop inquiry communities between teachers and didacticians, aimed at improving the learning of mathematics in classrooms, and at studying the processes, practices, issues and outcomes in and of the project. Theoretical notions of inquiry and community underpin the project. The focus here is largely methodological, tracing the origination and development of the project and decisions taken through its first phases. The project is seen to be situated within a 'developmental' research paradigm in which research both studies the developmental process and contributes centrally to it. Issues in the interpretation of inquiry practices in mathematics learning and teaching and the building of communities at various levels are seen as important outcomes. The roles and relationships of teachers and didacticians emerge as key concepts in the developmental process.