A Case Study of High School Students’ Mathematical Modeling Using Technological Tools: An Activity Theory Perspective

Mathematical modeling can impose cognitive demands on students, while technological tools may alleviate these burdens or introduce new tensions. Grounded in activity theory, this study investigates how contradictions arise and how activity systems transform during high school students’ modeling tasks involving technological tools. A small group of three students engaged in a task where tool use was required. Analysis focused on episodes where contradictions emerged—particularly during mathematizing and working mathematically—and identified tensions between elements such as subject and object, tool and object, tool and division of labor, and tool and community. Students resolved these contradictions through collaboration and tool use, which led to the construction of mathematical models and new problem-solving strategies. The findings highlight the mediating role of technological tools in both cognitive and social aspects of modeling, offering implications for instructional design that supports student thinking and group interaction.