Argumentation and interaction: Discussing a new theoretical perspective

Argumentation is an essentially interactive process that is closely related to language. At this regard, a framework underlining these aspects of argumentation processes could be helpful for research. In this theoretical paper we focus on the argumentative processes that are developed in the interactional context of the mathematics classroom. In this context, argumentations depend on the specific characteristics of mathematics and on the specific goals of the educational setting, among which the improvement of understanding is crucial. Related to this goal, we discuss the different functions that argumentations can play and introduce a theoretical perspective, proposed by Mercier and Sperber (2017) that values the interactional and linguistic aspects of argumentation