International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (PME)

Proceedings of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education · Volume 1

Electricity Bills as Boundary Objects Between Students’ Mathematics and Their Context

Vishrut Patel, Aniket Sule, Shweta Naik

Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education

49th Annual Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, PME 2026Helsinki27 July 2026 - 1 August 2026pp. 1147–1154ISSN 2790-36482026Scopus conference code 336559
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Abstract

This study explores the role of electricity bills as "boundary objects" within an extracurricular mathematical modeling camp for Grade 9 students in CITY, India. Drawing on Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT), the research analyzes how students navigate the discontinuity between school mathematics and the real-world context of electrical power distribution. Findings indicate that while students successfully utilized school-based mathematical reasoning to reverse-engineer billing procedures, the artifact remained socioculturally opaque. Yet, such matheamtically rich artefacts have a potential for supporting boundary crossing, though a complete crossing was not observed.

Keywords

boundary objectactivity theoryCHATelectricity bill

Recommended citation

Patel, V., Sule, A., & Naik, S. (2026). Electricity Bills as Boundary Objects Between Students’ Mathematics and Their Context. In Krzywacki H., Hähkiöniemi M., Haataja E., Hannula M.S., Hästö P. (Eds.), Proceedings of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, Volume 1 (pp. 1147–1154). Psychology of Mathematics Education (PME). ISSN 2790-3648.
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