Zero Indeterminacy Raised to Zero: Disciplinary and Pedagogical Knowledge in the Initial Formation of Mathematics Teachers

Abstract

The work presents a practice carried out in the degree course in Mathematics, from the State University of Mato Grosso, in which the author proposed to the academics, the creation of a didactic material that approached some concept of basic mathematics. A group composed of four academics, chose to make a video addressing the power content and were led to reflect on the zero raised to zero. From this practice, the research sought to understand the relationship of this group of academics with mathematical knowledge zero to zero. For the production of the data the qualitative approach was used, and for the analysis, the observation of the dialogue between the group and the teacher via WhatsApp, observing the didactic material produced by them and by the students' reports in a questionnaire. As a result, it was noticed that the power, zero raised to zero, is culturally conceived and taught, in the wrong way through the phrase: “every number raised to zero is one”. Bringing reflections on the teaching processes developed in the initial training of mathematics teachers and indicating the reconciled mobilization of disciplinary and pedagogical knowledge so that indeterminacy is properly disseminated in educational spaces. Thus, it is expected to contribute to the formation of mathematics teachers, in the understanding of zero indeterminacy raised to zero and to encourage research and teaching on this knowledge, in different contexts of teaching and learning mathematics.