Modelagem Matemática na Sala de Apoio à Aprendizagem: o olhar dos professores em formação

Abstract

This research deals with Mathematical Modeling (MM), in a Mathematical Education perspective (BURAK, 2004), in the context of the Learning Support Room (LSR) program through the eyes of the teachers and undergraduates who worked in the program in 2018. It is a phenomenological qualitative research oriented by the question: What is this, the Mathematical Modeling in the Learning Support Room? This theme emerged from the concern with the teaching of Mathematics at the beginning of the Middle School, in the dialogue with the State Department of Education at the Irati-PR Regional Education Center and the Mathematics Degree course at the Midwestern State University - UNICENTRO. In a collaborative role, LSR teachers and undergraduate students of the Mathematics Degree course shared the teaching action and developed practices with Mathematical Modeling in five schools in the Irati-PR region. The dialogical and reflexive relationship, as well as the synergy between the subjects, made LSR a space for the initial and continuing formation of mathematics teachers. The practice with MM was significant for the teachers (teachers and undergraduates) and for the students of LSR. The experience allowed teachers to broaden their understanding of the potentialities of MM in the general formation of the subjects. Beyond the development of mathematical knowledge, they noticed changes in students, gains in terms of socialization, communication, interaction, argumentation, organization and participation in the activity. In addition, the activities enabled the learning of important mathematical concepts for this school stage, with emphasis on basic operations. The teachers also noticed an improvement in the student understanding when the contents were situated in the context of interest, because the mathematical concepts gained meaning and the operations appeared contextualized. In each school, the steps were performed differently, emphasizing their nonlinearity and the diversity of referrals, depending on the chosen theme, student participation and teachers' perception of the possibilities of guidance. The LSR has specificities related to the content lags, learning disabilities and vulnerabilities of its students, which were much more evident in working with MM, as it allows closer ties between teachers and students. The MM has a specific methodological structure and in the context of LSR it was possible to highlight that the practice with MM is in the student's interest and advances with very positive results for achieving its intrinsic motivation, keeping it participative and involved in the activity itself, with own learning goals. We conclude this research moment with partnerships formed in order to continue this format of formation, considering the important contributions for teachers and students.