The main purpose of this study was to investigate elementary teachers&rsquo / and elementary mathematics teachers&rsquo / attitudes toward and beliefs about mathematical problem solving in terms of gender and grade level being taught. Moreover, the relationship between elementary teachers&rsquo / and elementary mathematics teachers&rsquo / attitudes and beliefs was evaluated in this study. The data were collected from 141 in-service elementary teachers who are teaching 4th and 5th graders and elementary mathematics teachers who are teaching 6th, 7th and 8th graders in Nevsehir. The measuring instruments used to collect data were Whitaker Mathematical Problem Solving Attitude Scale (WMPSAS) and, Belief on Mathematical Problem Solving Scale (BMPSS). The results showed that, in general, in-service elementary teachers and elementary mathematics teachers indicated positive attitudes and rich beliefs toward mathematical problem solving. In addition, there was a significant difference between grade level being taught regarding attitudes and beliefs. The elementary mathematics teachers had significantly higher attitudes and beliefs scores than the elementary teachers. The results also revealed that there was not significant main effect for gender on both attitudes and beliefs. In other words, regardless of grade level being taught, female elementary teachers and female elementary mathematics teachers had higher attitude and belief scores than male elementary teachers and male elementary mathematics teachers. Finally, Pearson product-moment correlation analysis indicated a significantly positive correlation between attitude and belief scores.

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This study aimed to investigate the level of understanding of Euclidian geometry, in terms of theoretical knowledge as well as its problem-solving application, in pre-service mathematics education (PME) students at the University of Pretoria. In order to do so, a one group pre-test/ post-test procedure was conducted around an intensive geometry module, and a representational group of students was interviewed before and after the module to discuss their high school experiences of learning geometry and to analyse their attitudes towards the subject. The van Hiele Theory of Levels of Thought in Geometry was used as the theoretical framework for this study. The PME students in this study, prior to their completion of the geometry module, lacked the content knowledge, skills and insight in Euclidian geometry that is expected at matric level (Level 3). The pre-test results revealed that half the group could only be classified as being on Level 0. By the time the post-test was written, 60% of the group had moved onto Level 1 as their maximum competence level. This implies that these students were all brought to greater insight by the teaching they received during the geometry module. However, the overall improvement in the group as revealed in the post-test results, consisted of an upward movement of only one level. Therefore, the geometry module offered did not bring about sufficient improvement for these students to be able to teach geometry adequately (Level 3 is required). The students who were interviewed for this study uniformly expressed their dislike or fear of Euclidian geometry in general, but described the positive change in their attitude during the course of the module because of the way it was presented. Training of students for a career as mathematics educators which includes an in-depth van Hiele-based geometry module would facilitate the acquisition of insight and relational understanding. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Curriculum Studies / MEd / unrestricted

Orientador: Miriam Godoy Penteado / Banca: Laurizete Ferragut Passos / Banca: Telma Aparecida de Souza Gracias / Resumo: Esta pesquisa trata da Formação Inicial de Professores de Matemática, em particular sobre o uso de tecnologia informática. Sabendo da problemática existente nos cursos de graduação, como, por exemplo, a desarticulação entre teoria e prática, entre formação universitária e realidade escolar, deteve-se na seguinte questão: "Quais são as perspectivas, expectativas e dificuldades que os futuros professores apresentam quando refletem sobre uma prática educativa utilizando planilhas eletrônicas na escola básica?". A pesquisa contou com a participação de dois futuros professores de Matemática da UNESP de Rio Claro. Foram realizados três encontros de planejamento, dez encontros de intervenção em uma escola pública, e dez encontros de reflexão, que ocorreram sempre após cada intervenção. Os licenciandos tiveram a oportunidade de expor suas idéias sobre as experiências realizadas e, a partir de uma análise à luz do referencial teórico, foram extraindo temas que se referem às suas expectativas, perspectivas e dificuldades. Entre eles, a gestão da sala de aula e a transposição de conteúdo, a complexidade da sala de aula, como eles percebem os alunos, as condições de trabalho na escola, ser professor e o uso de tecnologia informática. / Abstract: This research addresses the pre-service mathematics teacher education, in particular their practice with computer. Considering the problems concerning teacher education courses - as, for instance, the disarticulation between the theory and the practice, and between the university education and the school reality - it was formulated the following research question: "What are the perspectives, expectations and difficulties that the future teachers experience when they reflect on an educational practice using spreadsheets at the basic school?" The research was developed in collaboration with two future mathematics teachers from UNESP at Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil. It was organized three planning meetings, ten intervention meetings in a public school, and ten reflection meeting, that always took place right after each intervention meeting. The reflection meetings were videoed and transcribed. The data were analyzed with reference to the literature. Themes were identified that could be referred to their expectation, perspectives, and difficulties. These themes included: the teaching in the classroom and the transposition of the contents; the complexity of the classroom environment; the interaction with the students; the school working conditions; being a teacher; and the use of computers. / Mestre

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Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:24:51Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2004-10-27Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:52:40Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 mussolini_af_me_rcla.pdf: 306703 bytes, checksum: 2844e21933fc8c32b8ed7b5f32ed2d19 (MD5) / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) / Esta pesquisa trata da Formação Inicial de Professores de Matemática, em particular sobre o uso de tecnologia informática. Sabendo da problemática existente nos cursos de graduação, como, por exemplo, a desarticulação entre teoria e prática, entre formação universitária e realidade escolar, deteve-se na seguinte questão: Quais são as perspectivas, expectativas e dificuldades que os futuros professores apresentam quando refletem sobre uma prática educativa utilizando planilhas eletrônicas na escola básica?. A pesquisa contou com a participação de dois futuros professores de Matemática da UNESP de Rio Claro. Foram realizados três encontros de planejamento, dez encontros de intervenção em uma escola pública, e dez encontros de reflexão, que ocorreram sempre após cada intervenção. Os licenciandos tiveram a oportunidade de expor suas idéias sobre as experiências realizadas e, a partir de uma análise à luz do referencial teórico, foram extraindo temas que se referem às suas expectativas, perspectivas e dificuldades. Entre eles, a gestão da sala de aula e a transposição de conteúdo, a complexidade da sala de aula, como eles percebem os alunos, as condições de trabalho na escola, ser professor e o uso de tecnologia informática. / This research addresses the pre-service mathematics teacher education, in particular their practice with computer. Considering the problems concerning teacher education courses - as, for instance, the disarticulation between the theory and the practice, and between the university education and the school reality - it was formulated the following research question: What are the perspectives, expectations and difficulties that the future teachers experience when they reflect on an educational practice using spreadsheets at the basic school? The research was developed in collaboration with two future mathematics teachers from UNESP at Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil. It was organized three planning meetings, ten intervention meetings in a public school, and ten reflection meeting, that always took place right after each intervention meeting. The reflection meetings were videoed and transcribed. The data were analyzed with reference to the literature. Themes were identified that could be referred to their expectation, perspectives, and difficulties. These themes included: the teaching in the classroom and the transposition of the contents; the complexity of the classroom environment; the interaction with the students; the school working conditions; being a teacher; and the use of computers.

Submitted by HELBER RANGEL FORMIGA LEITE DE ALMEIDA null (helber.rangel@gmail.com) on 2016-11-30T18:00:42Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Almeida, Helber.pdf: 6860142 bytes, checksum: bf9100b9af47d735378c90389e414030 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Felipe Augusto Arakaki (arakaki@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2016-12-02T15:43:20Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 almeida_hrfl_dr_rcla.pdf: 6860142 bytes, checksum: bf9100b9af47d735378c90389e414030 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-02T15:43:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 almeida_hrfl_dr_rcla.pdf: 6860142 bytes, checksum: bf9100b9af47d735378c90389e414030 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-11-23 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Esta pesquisa tem como objetivo compreender o papel das Tecnologias Digitais (TD) no ensino da disciplina Cálculo I oferecida a distância, em particular, para cursos de Licenciatura em Matemática da Universidade Aberta do Brasil (UAB). Trata-se de uma pesquisa de cunho qualitativo. Mais especificamente, utilizei a abordagem metodológica da Teoria Fundamentada nos Dados (TFD). Nessa abordagem, o pesquisador deve construir uma teoria a partir do desenvolvimento de conceitos, categorias, propriedades e dimensões. A TFD foi utilizada na construção e na análise dos dados, estes, produzidos a partir de quatro fontes: observação no Ambiente Virtual de Aprendizagem (AVA), entrevistas com professores, tutores e alunos dos cursos, análise dos documentos oficiais destes cursos e um diário de campo do pesquisador. Os dados produzidos permitiram um diálogo com as ideias de polidocência, que discute a fragmentação do ensino em cursos a distância, e do construto seres-humanos-com-mídias, que propõe que humanos e tecnologias atuam juntos na produção do conhecimento matemático. Esses dados permitiram inferir que há dois papéis em evidência, cada um analisado em uma das categorias que emergiram, intituladas “TD e seu papel na estruturação da disciplina” e “TD e seu papel na docência da disciplina”. Em cada uma das categorias foram desenvolvidas três propriedades. Na primeira: o design da disciplina, a avaliação online e a interação. Na segunda categoria, as propriedades exploradas foram: a mudança de papéis, a estratégia e as dificuldades epistemológicas. Posteriormente, essas categorias foram integradas em uma categoria central que indica a teoria que defende a existência de um construto polidocentes-com-mídias para os dados produzidos e analisados. Esse construto sugere que as TD atuam no coletivo de trabalhadores da polidocência, alterando papéis e desvelando outros neste coletivo. Para isso, é necessário que o AVA seja um ambiente rico em interações colaborativas, nas quais o diálogo seja constantemente incentivado por professores e tutores. Com o construto polidocentes-com-mídias elaborado, o modelo foi, então, verificado nas disciplinas analisadas, o que corroborou a necessidade das interações colaborativas. Com esta pesquisa, espera-se que outras sejam iniciadas no sentido de investigar que outros papéis as TD podem desempenhar, não apenas no ensino, como também na aprendizagem de outras disciplinas em contextos semelhantes. / This research aims to understand the role of Digital Technologies (DT) in the teaching of Calculus in distance education, in particular, in the Pre-Service Mathematics Teacher Education of the Open University of Brazil (UAB). A qualitative research approach was used, specifically the methodological approach of Grounded Theory (GT). In this approach, the researcher builds a theory grounded in concepts, categories, properties and dimensions identified through analysis of the data. The data were produced from four sources: observation in Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), interviews with teachers, tutors and students of the courses, analysis of official documents of these courses, and research field notes. Based on the produced data, it was possible to build a dialogue between poly-teaching ideas regarding the fragmentation of teaching in distance learning courses, and the theoretical construct humans-with-media, which proposes that humans and technology work together in the production of mathematical knowledge. Two roles of DT emerged as analytic categories: "DT and its role in the structuring of the course" and "DT and its role in teaching the course". In each category, three properties were developed. In the first category, they were: the course design, evaluation and online interaction. In the second category, the properties explored were: changing roles, strategy and epistemological difficulties. Later, these categories were integrated into a central category that formed the basis for defending the existence of the theoretical construct “poly-teachers-with-media”. This construct suggests that DT act in the collective of poly-teaching workers, changing roles and revealing others in this collective. Therefore, it is necessary for the VLE to be an environment rich in collaborative interactions, in which the dialogue is constantly encouraged by teachers and tutors. Once the notion of the construct poly-teachers-with-media was developed, the model was then verified in the analyzed courses, which supported the relationship with the need for collaborative interactions. With this research, it is hoped that others will begin to investigate the other roles that DT can play, not only in teaching, but also in the learning of different subjects in similar contexts.

<p> </p> <p>Issues of social justice continue to permeate all aspects of life in the United States. Acknowledging recent calls for racial justice, as well as efforts to restrict what is taught in mathematics classrooms, researchers and practitioners are increasingly exploring the promises of teaching mathematics for social justice in secondary mathematics classrooms. This dissertation contributes to research about how a social justice mathematics course can be utilized in teacher education programs to support prospective mathematics teachers’ (PMTs’) development of their mathematics identities, as well as how PMTs translate social justice mathematics theory into</p> <p>practice with their secondary mathematics students. This research complexifies the role of primarily white mathematics teachers and teacher educators working toward teaching</p> <p>mathematics for social justice by foregrounding some of the ways in which social justice mathematics curricula and instruction may continue to center whiteness. </p> <p><br></p> <p>This dissertation includes three studies focused on the design and delivery of a social justice mathematics course offered to undergraduate students, as well as the learning outcomes</p> <p>for 11 PMTs enrolled in the first iteration. As such, each study is formatted for submission to a research journal and contains its own questions, methods, findings, discussion, and conclusion. </p> <p><br></p> <p>The first and second studies detail the experiences of PMTs in a social justice mathematics course. In the first study, I explored how engaging in such a course contributed to PMTs’ mathematics identities. Findings in this case study suggest that sustained engagement with social justice mathematics can contribute to PMTs’ conceptions of mathematics and encourage them to address issues of social justice in their mathematics classrooms. Building on this, three of the PMTs enrolled in the course and I engaged in a critical participatory action research study to investigate their experiences working toward teaching mathematics for social justice in their secondary mathematics field placements. Prior to engaging their students with social justice mathematics tasks, the PMTs focused on developing relationships and trust with students and also maintained a commitment to engaging students with dominant mathematics. </p> <p><br></p> <p>Informed by a finding in the first study (i.e., PMTs continued to view mathematics as objective and neutral), in the third study, I investigated the prominence of whiteness in the development and facilitation of the course. Using action research and critical whiteness studies, I detail areas in which I perpetuated whiteness, as well as areas in which I began to make progress.</p>