Elementos da proposta freiriana em práticas docentes de professoras dos anos iniciais em um ambiente de resolução de problemas matemáticos

Abstract

This qualitative study aims to investigate which elements of Freire's epistemology are present in the practices of elementary school teachers when creating a problem-solving environment in mathematics classes. The guiding question of the research is: "What elements of Freire's epistemology favor the construction of teaching practices through problem-solving in mathematics classes in the early years of elementary school?" Based on the general objective, three specific objectives were designed: to analyze which elements of teaching practice contribute to the work of problem-solving during mathematics classes in the early years of elementary school; to identify and analyze the interactions between students and between them and the teacher during work with the problem-solving methodology in mathematics classes; and to identify and describe some elements of Freire's proposal that favor the construction of teaching practices through problem-solving in the early years of elementary school. Data production was carried out in two 5th grade classes of a public school in the interior of São Paulo. The following research instruments were used: field diary, multipleentry reports, semi-structured interviews and reflective dialogues with two teachers. To analyze the data collected, data triangulation was used, resulting in the creation of two sections that address “Teaching Practice” and “Interaction and Dialogue”. In the first section, the interviews with the teachers, the notes from the field diary and the multiple-entry reports were analyzed, focusing on the constituent elements of the teachers’ teaching practice. In the second section, the focus was on interaction and dialogue in the search for the construction of a dialogical mathematics class. Aiming to contribute to the field of mathematics teaching and learning, teaching practices were identified that help students reflect and interact on mathematical problems, acquire a personal way to solve them and find in them the genuine meaning of discovery, intellectual enrichment and decision-making, enabling them to go beyond the role of mere repeaters and/or applicators of formulas that do not dialogue with their daily lives. The results obtained in this study made it possible to identify some aspects of the teachers' teaching practices during mathematics classes, which are in line with the elements of Freire's epistemology. It is considered that the emphasis in teaching mathematics in the early years of elementary school does not consist of the search for correct and ready answers, but in the process of problematization based on dialogue between children and between them and the teacher regarding the mathematical problem. Those involved in the teaching and learning process value communication in the form of dialogue for interaction between them, which results in improvements in teaching practice and in the student's conception of mathematics.