| Svanhild Breive ,  Sigurd Johannes Hals - Vol. 46 Num. 2 (2026) | ||
| Animate mathematics | 2-7 | |
| ABSTRACT: In this paper, we challenge traditional perspectives in mathematics education that view learning as a process of abstracting concepts from concrete experiences and regard mathematical concepts as immaterial entities accessible only through representations. Drawing on post-humanist perspectives, we propose an alternative reading of mathematical concepts as dynamic, material-discursive agents within educational assemblages. By analyzing the rhythmic gestures and verbal utterances of 5–6-year-old children, we illustrate how the concepts of square and rectangle emerge as agentic forces that shape children's actions just as much as those actions shape the concepts. We argue that a crux to understanding the embodied and material dimension of mathematical concepts and learning processes is to view these concepts as dynamic processes and as relations, rather than static entities. Acknowledging the material and corporeal dimensions of mathematics repositions teaching and learning as a creative, improvisational process where children, teachers, and concepts are inextricably entangled. This holistic view encourages a move beyond verbal and written proficiency to recognize the diverse, embodied ways children engage with and are shaped by mathematics. | ||