Learning of teaching in a collaborative group: children's stories and mathematics

Abstract

This study examines the ways in which the process of preparation, analysis and use of educational material developed in a group with collaboration features can be a source of learning of teaching in initial training in the Education course, analyzing the participants' process of learning how to teach, the knowledge mobilized and the difficulties faced. To this end, we chose the case study of Atividade Curricular de Integração Ensino, Pesquisa e Extensão (Aciepe - Curricular Activity for the Integration of Teaching, Research and Extension) titled Histórias Infantis e Matemática nas Séries Iniciais do Ensino Fundamental (Children's Stories and Mathematics in the early grades of Primary Education) and collected data from the reports of five recent grads of the Education course on the process experienced when studying references that addressed the mother tongue, the language of mathematics, teaching mathematics and the connection between children's literature and mathematics, as well as when building and using children's books with mathematical content. We used multiple data sources, such as various written records developed during the research, teaching and extension activities (reports, lesson plans, field journals, books produced etc.), interviews and questionnaires answered after completion of Aciepe. Research results present the learning of teaching related to the participants' personal and professional dimensions. The analysis of those results allowed discussing the potential establishment of a space for the preparation, analysis and use of educational materials. Such space should be permeated by collective discussion among students, practicing teachers and trainers from different areas.