Futuros professores de matemática : concepções, memórias e escolha profissional

Abstract

This masters thesis, focusing on mathematics education, is linked to the Graduate Education Program, of the Education Center at Federal University of Espírito Santo - Brasil (UFES). The study investigated conceptions, memories and career choice of undergraduate pre-service secondary mathematics teachers from the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Espírito Santo (Ifes) - Brazil in Cachoeiro de Itapemirim campus. The studies of Ernest, Gómez Chacón, Lorenzato, Bridge, Santos, Santos-Wagner, and Thompson, among others offered theoretical support for this work. These studies show how much relevant is to value the conceptions of teachers and students relative to mathematics, and how it can interfere with the training, learning and performance of these individuals, in the environment in which they live. We followed a class of the undergraduate pre-service secondary mathematics teacher education course for a year, between the second and fourth period of the course. The study methodology was qualitative and adopted features of ethnographic research. The gathering and the production of data were performed by classroom observations, conversations, interviews, questionnaires and tasks proposed to undergraduates. Furthermore, we gave constantly feedback to the students to confirm data recorded and interpretations with them. The study showed that participants exhibited more than one conception about mathematics and furnished cues that differentiated their thoughts about mathematics and mathematics teaching. We noted that experiences with mathematics influence the undergraduates conceptions about this discipline and pedagogical aspects, as well as the professional choice. The teachers, the kinds of classes that students experienced, the social and family environment were important elements in the individual formation and conceptions about mathematics and mathematic teaching. The participants showed mathematics conceptions and study habits different in relation to the mathematics studied in basic education and college. The research process and its constant feedback contributed to improve the undergraduates knowledge about themselves, and for some students to become self-conscious about how they have been dedicating to the undergraduate secondary mathematics teacher course