Abstract, Drawing on socio-cultural theory, we understand the norms regulating the practices within the mathematics classroom as resulting from the social representations of the socially dominant groups and of the school culture related to what constitutes learning mathematics. Immigrant students, having their own personal histories as members of particular social groups, and having been in school traditions other than the one predominant in the host society, have their own images of what mathematics in school is about. Individuals interacting in the classroom are all re-interpreting the different episodes from the perspective of the social representations of the larger groups with which they identify themselves. In multiethnic classrooms different re-interpretations of the same norms clash. The lack of negotiation gives rise to obstacles to immigrant students’ participation in the mathematical conversations and, therefore, interferes with the students’ learning process.

Partant des théories socioculturelles, nous interprétons les normes régulant les pratiques dans les cours de mathématiques comme étant en relation avec les représentations sociales des groupes sociaux dominants et avec la culture de l’école concernant ce qui constitue l’apprentissage des mathématiques. Ayant leurs propres histoires personnelles en tant que membres de certains groupes sociaux, et ayant eu des traditions scolaires différentes de celle qui prédomine la culture d’accueil, les élèves immigrants ont leurs propres images de ce que sont les mathématiques scolaires. Les individus en interaction dans la classe interprètent les différents épisodes sur la base des représentations sociales des groupes avec lesquels ils s’identifient. Dans les classes multiéthniques, différentes réinterprétations d’une même norme entrent en collision. L’absence de négociation fait obstacle à la participation des élèves immigrants dans les conversations mathématiques et ainsi interfère avec les processus d’apprentissage des élèves.

Key words: Cultural artefacts, Mediation, Multicultural mathematics classroom, Social representations, Socio-mathematical norms.

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