Sociocultural context as a facilitator of student learning of function concepts in mathematics

In Costa Rica, many secondary students have serious difficulties to establish relationships between mathematics and real-life contexts. They question the utilitarian role of the school mathematics. This fact motivated the research object of this report which evidences the need to overcome methodologies unrelated to students’ reality, toward new didactical options that help students to value mathematics, reasoning and its  applications, connecting it with their socio-cultural context. The research used a case study as a qualitative methodology and the social constructivism as an educational paradigm in which the knowledge is built by the student; as a product of his social interactions. A collection of learning situations was designed, validated, and implemented. It allowed establishing relationships between mathematical concepts and the socio-cultural context of participants. It analyzed the impact of students’socio-cultural context in their mathematics learning of basic concepts of real variable functions, consistent with the Ministry of Education (MEP) Official Program.  Among the results, it was found that using students’sociocultural context improved their motivational processes, mathematics sense making, and promoted cooperative social interactions. It was evidenced that contextualized learning situations favored concepts comprehension that allow students to see mathematics as a discipline closely related with their every-day life.

CONSIDERANDOS PARA LAS SOLICITUDES DE TERRITORIOS LIBRES DE ORGANISMOS GENÉTICAMENTE ALTERADOS (TRANSGÉNICOS), CON ÉNFASIS EN COSTA RICA

Resumen Se exponen los considerandos de diverso tipo que justifican la declaratoria de territorios libres de organismos genéticamente alterados (transgénicos), haciendo un énfasis en la situación de Costa Rica. Los razonamientos descritos están ampliamente respaldados en los hechos concretos analizados en el contenido de las referencias bibliográficas del caso.   Abstract Diverse considerations are presented that justify the declaration of territories as transgenic-free zones, with emphasis on the situation in Costa Rica. The arguments described are supported by the concrete facts analyzed in the contents of the bibliographic references.

TURISMO EN LA ERA DE LA GLOBALIZACIÓN: IMPLICACIONES DE EQUIDAD PARA LA SOCIEDAD Y EL AMBIENTE INTERNACIONAL

Es bastante sorprendente que para un sector económico tan dinámico como el turismo no existan análisis comprensivos y realmente serios, sobre su impacto en el desarrollo sostenible en el ámbito internacional. Sin duda alguna, hay una discusión amplia sobre problemas de transporte y viaje, particularmente de viajes aéreos para fines turísticos, con relación al efecto de calentamiento atmosférico (“greenhouse effect”).1 Así mismo, recientemente se han llevado a cabo una serie de estudios sobre el impacto local (positivo y negativo) del turismo en la economía, la vida sociocultural, el ambiente, etc. (ver las diferentes contribuciones en Hein 1997). Sin embargo, en el nivel de una estrategia internacional se pueden encontrar mayormente sobre-generalizaciones inaceptables de tales estudios de impacto, las cuales condenan (como ONGs más radicales) o elogian el turismo (como algunos escritos sobre eco-turismo), pero con razonamientos igualemente poco diferenciados y mayormente superficiales.