Estudo de concepções e crenças de licenciandos sobre o ensino de matemática

Abstract

This research aimed at to identify mathematics prospective teachers in their conceptions and beliefs of teaching maths. The study is justified by the understanding that the knowledge of such conceptions and beliefs can contribute to the improvement of the educators practice, mobilizing them into new professional knowledge which benefits their own undergraduates. The data collection instruments were a questionnaire and teaching cases. Research participants were 27 students of the last two semesters of a teacher education course in Mathematics from a private University located in São Paulo. The authors who referenced the analyzes were Fiorentini, Ponte, Shulman and Marcelo García, among others. The undergraduates statements revealed that for the teacher to perform an effective mathematics teaching, not only should he master the mathematics content but also he should know how to teach, so that his students can learn. Moreover, undergraduate students consider important that the teacher knows how to relate his subject with others. As far as the degree course in mathematics is concerned, although the undergraduates had evaluated it as a difficult course that requires so much dedication to its studies, they are aware that this is necessary to graduate good professionals. In relation to the expectations for the teaching profession, the prospective teachers presume to find several challenges such as the myth that mathematics is a difficult subject that frightens children, which impairs the learning of that subject. However, the prospective teachers are very hopeful that their students will be well capable to learn maths on the grounds, because they strongly believe that commitment, dedication and patience will not give them up