Mathematics Teaching and Subjects that Include Mathematics in Pedagogy Courses

Abstract

Background: Research in initial education and professional performance of pedagogues in mathematics is increasing, but they are still few compared to other topics in mathematics education and point to the need for more studies. Objectives: To present a reading of the speeches of beginning mathematics teachers in early childhood education and the early years of elementary school about teaching mathematics, addressing its difficulties and facilities and how they work in classrooms, establishing relationships with the school modules involving mathematics in the degree in pedagogy courses they attended. Design: Qualitative research. Setting and Participants: Six teachers from the municipal schools of São José do Rio Pardo, who agreed to participate in the research through a questionnaire sent to schools in this municipality, the environment being stipulated by them. Data collection and analysis: Data were produced through semi-structured interviews and analysed based on the assumptions of the model of semantic fields. Results: the main result was that the pedagogues had many difficulties in how to teach mathematics, even though their training was more focused on the methodological aspects of the modules that involved mathematics. Conclusions: Although the pedagogues had doubts about how to teach mathematics, we observed that the mathematical contents, practically not addressed in initial education, do not concern them in professional practice, as most of them work in early childhood education; this suggests research on what mathematics are necessary for the initial and even continuing education of pedagogues who teach mathematics.