Traditionally research in mathematics education utilised the methodologies of psychological, agro-biological and generally the styles of the scientific research paradigm. This typically makes use of certain philosophical assumptions about what there is (ontology), how and what we can know (epistemology) and the appropriate methods for gaining and testing knowledge (methodology). The scientific research paradigm normally frames hypotheses to test against empirical data gathered as objectively as possibly, often quantitative data. Thus its approach is to try to discover and test empirical laws and generalisations.