MATHEMATICAL ACTIVITY IN A TECHNOLOGICAL WORKPLACE: RESULTS FROM AN ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY

This paper investigates mathematics in the setting of a telecommunication organization through a number of tool mediated activities used by three different groups of professionals. The theoretical and analytical framework is guided by "activity theory" and the research methodology follows the ethnographic tradition. The results indicated that three different aspects of mathematics- procedural, conceptual and theoretical emerged in the work activities, while a number of general strategies were developed during breakdown situations. The role of the particularities of different instruments and of the professionals' academic background was also discussed.