Narratives of early childhood teachers about mathematics in their formative and professional trajectory

Abstract

This research focuses on the training processes of four early childhood mathematics teachers from the public and private education in Juiz de Fora, from the Specialization course in Science and Early Childhood Mathematics Teaching of the College of Education (FACED) - the Juiz de Fora Federal University (UFJF), Minas Gerais, from 2019 to 2020. We analyzed the meanings attribute to mathematics in their formative and professional trajectory and identified contributions and challenges from initial and continuing education to teaching practices of mathematics in basic education. Theoretical frameworks are anchored in studies on mathematical training and teaching practice of teachers in childhood education. The teachers shared, in narrative interviews, the learning of teaching on continuing education and emphasized the articulation of the experiences in the meetings of this course with their practices when teaching mathematics. They highlighted the gaps evidenced in their formative trajectory: the challenge of understanding mathematical content; the reduced workload of Mathematics in the Pedagogy course, focused on the specific contents of the curricular matrix of the basic school; the absence of a better articulation between theoretical and practical knowledge in initial training. The study revealed the importance of initial and continuing education for the theoretical and practical deepening of the foundations of mathematics in the formative and professional trajectory. The respondents in the research emphasized the relevance of enthusiasm and happiness, which make math classes more enjoyable, dynamic, and challenging.