A picture is worth a thousand words, so they say. In our research team, we have taken this saying literally by trying to offer pictures – in the shape of networks – about a variety of mathematics classrooms. For each classroom session examined (e.g., widely available TIMMS videos, our own, and Jo Boaler’s work), we underlined the mathematical ideas that were engaged with through the creation of a map, or network, which we then analyzed using tools adapted from Network theory. This modelling, and the measures generated on the networks obtained, enabled us to examine, e.g., the distribution and robustness of the connections between the mathematical ideas shared, the central mathematical ideas around which other ones gravitate, or the various topologies (on a spectrum from random to scale-free) that the network for each mathematics classroom exhibited. This alternative way of looking at classrooms raises a number of questions that will be addressed and discussed.

Bios: Jérôme Proulx is a professor of mathematics education in the mathematics department of the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM). He runs with his colleague Jean-François Maheux the Laboratoire Épistémologie et Activité Mathématique (www.leam.uqam.ca). His work focuses on studying epistemological and cognitive aspects of mathematics teaching and learning. His current research programme is focused on mental mathematics and solving processes, merged with problem-solving in

the mathematics classroom.

Kevin Champagne is studying mathematics education research in the Laboratoire Épistémologie et Activité Mathématique, developing an expertise in Network theory and its application to the phenomenon of mathematics classroom. Kevin is currently completing his Bachelor’s in education for mathematics teachers.