Before situating the goals of this

Before situating the goals of this study, we review transition research so as to bring out theimportance of focusing on the informal mode of mathematics culture at both the secondary andtertiary levels (Section1). We then examine the conceptualization of this informal mode as thistakes form in the ways of doing mathematics shared by teachers (Section2). The importance oftaking teachers’perspectives into account weighs critically on this study’s methodologicalorientations, particularly in terms of having opted to conduct a collaborative research study(Section3). The analysis of results charts theBterritory^(of ways of doing mathematics) thatemerges at each level concerning mathematical symbolism and its uses (Section4). The sharedterritories associated with each level evince different mathematical cultures that provide uswith a basis for discussing secondary-tertiary transition issues (Section5).