A formação inicial de professores de matemática: significações de docentes do ensino superior acerca da matemática e da educação

Abstract

This study is based on Historical-Cultural Theory, focusing on the relationships between meanings and senses in the formative process of mathematics teachers. Its objective was to dialectically analyze the significations constructed by university professors of Mathematics undergraduate programs regarding Mathematics and Education, considering the contradictions and the transformative movement between these fields. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with faculty members from two Higher Education Institutions (one in the Northeast and another in the Southeast of Brazil). The interviews provided access to the apparent empirical reality, expressed through recorded discourses, and the data were analyzed using the Core of Signification tool developed by Aguiar and Ozella. The results indicate that the significations about Mathematics and Education among the participating professors are shaped by meanings and senses from their basic schooling and the affective relationships built primarily with teachers they considered as references throughout their education. These significations were further reinforced in their formative processes in Mathematics Education, within both teaching and research contexts. The significations constructed throughout the formative process, which culminate in the meanings and senses present in undergraduate programs, can contribute to a teacher education that is more committed to objective reality and less alienated. These findings highlight the importance of Mathematics Education in teacher training, as well as the relevance of affective bonds in the educational process. Although the research participants articulated perspectives that seek to connect Mathematics and Education and considered Mathematics as a human tool, the challenges of this articulation still point to rigid university structures. These structures reflect formative dynamics that prioritize graduation rates over the quality of training, aligning with the hegemonic university project that has been established in Brazil over the years. Therefore, it is the responsibility of teacher training institutions to contribute to the dialectical construction of significations about Mathematics and Education, strengthening Mathematics Education and recognizing it as essential in teacher education. This, in turn, could open new horizons for mathematics learning in Brazil.