Proceso de transformación de las concepciones del profesorado sobre la resolución de problemas matemáticos

The aim of this study is to analyze the transformation of Primary School teachers’ conceptions about mathematical problem solving. We performed a study with 18 teachers from three public schools: in each class (from 1º to 6º) there were two interventions, and we were interviewed teachers before and after them. The results have show identified changes in: 1) teacher’s expectations about students’ abilities; classroom management; perception of diversity; mathematical strategies used by students; communication in the classroom; causes of the problems encountered; and relevance process of problem solving in mathematics teaching. The transformation of teachers’ conceptions is due to the following factors: a) awareness of the practice; b) systematic reflection; c) the contrast between different ways to work solving problems in math class

La estadística y la probabilidad en Educación Infantil conocimientos disciplinares, didácticos y experienciales

This article presents an approach to disciplinary knowledge, and experiential learning necessary for the Early Childhood Education teachers can teach statistics and probability significantly, effective and systematic. First, are specified a set of basic knowledge about the discipline and exposed the contents sequenced by level; secondly, provides guidance on how they learn and how they should be taught the knowledge of statistics and probability in the first ages; and, finally, are some examples of activities implemented in kindergarten classrooms

Activitats competencials per aprendre a usar les matemàtiques al Cicle Inicial

Presentació de diferents activitats competencials per aprendre a usar les matemàtiques al cicle Inicial (entre 6-8 anys)

Las mates, desde bien temprano

Article d'opinió que comenta la necessitat d'afavorir l'adquisició de coneixements matemàtics des d'edats molt tempranes

Matemàtiques per a l'escola o per a la vida?: cap a l'alfabetisme matemàtic a l'educació primària

En aquest article, s’hi planteja que, en els darrers temps, s’ha vist la necessitat de preparar l’alumnat no només per dominar els continguts matemàtics, sinó especialment per poder-los usar de manera comprensiva en diferents contextos de rellevància social. S’hi argumenta que els processos matemàtics són les eines que ens proporcionen les matemàtiques per aprendre a usar els continguts i s’hi presenta una proposta que pretén orientar sobre com els podem treballar a l’educació primària

Material per a l'alumnat: Activitats competencials per aprendre a usar les matemàtiques al cicle inicial

Propostes de treball i activitats competencials per aprendre a usar les matemàtiques al CI

Les mates, des de ben aviat

En aquest article d'opinió, Àngel Alsina comenta la necessitat d'afavorir l'adquisició de coneixements matemàtics des d'edats ben primerenques

Factors clau per a una educació matemàtica infantil de qualitat

En el present article, s’hi analitzen cinc factors que es consideren clau per avançar cap a una educació matemàtica infantil de qualitat: la formació inicial del professorat, la formació permanent, els itineraris didàctics, els processos matemàtics i la investigació en educació matemàtica infantil

L'ús de quaderns d'activitats per aprendre matemàtiques a l'educació infantil

Aquest article fa una reflexió sobre el panorama actual referent a læús dels quaderns de matemàtiques a læeducació infantil, com també sobre algunes qüestions que tenen a veure amb les professionals i els professionals implicats en el desenvolupament del pensament matemàtic de les criatures dæaquesta etapa

La numeració i el càlcul a l'educació infantil: de la mecànica a la comprensió

Al nostre país, hi ha pràctiques d’aula encara molt arrelades en relació amb el procés d’ensenyament-aprenentatge de la numeració i el càlcul a l’educació infantil que cal qüestionar, perquè contribueixen de manera escassa o nul·la a ajudar a comprendre els continguts d’aquest bloc. Al present article, s’hi exposen diverses activitats implementades en contextos significatius d’aprenentatge, tant dins de l’aula com fora, que afavoreixen la comprensió de les quantitats discretes i les operacions aritmètiques elementals, el significat que tenen i les funcions que exerceixen, per poder usar aquests coneixements de manera eficaç en contextos diferents de la vida quotidiana

An Empirical Study on Faculty Perceptions and Teaching Practices of Wikipedia

Some faculty members from different universities around the world have begun to use Wikipedia as a teaching tool in recent years. These experiences show, in most cases, very satisfactory results and a substantial improvement in various basic skills, as well as a positive influence on the students' motivation. Nevertheless and despite the growing importance of e-learning methodologies based on the use of the Internet for higher education, the use of Wikipedia as a teaching resource remains scarce among university faculty.Our investigation tries to identify which are the main factors that determine acceptance or resistance to that use. We approach the decision to use Wikipedia as a teaching tool by analyzing both the individual attributes of faculty members and the characteristics of the environment where they develop their teaching activity. From a specific survey sent to all faculty of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), pioneer and leader in online education in Spain, we have tried to infer the influence of these internal and external elements. The questionnaire was designed to measure different constructs: perceived quality of Wikipedia, teaching practices involving Wikipedia, use experience, perceived usefulness and use of 2.0 tools. Control items were also included for gathering information on gender, age, teaching experience, academic rank, and area of expertise.Our results reveal that academic rank, teaching experience, age or gender, are not decisive factors in explaining the educational use of Wikipedia. Instead, the decision to use it is closely linked to the perception of Wikipedia's quality, the use of other collaborative learning tools, an active attitude towards web 2.0 applications, and connections with the professional non-academic world. Situational context is also very important, since the use is higher when faculty members have got reference models in their close environment and when they perceive it is positively valued by their colleagues. As far as these attitudes, practices and cultural norms diverge in different scientific disciplines, we have also detected clear differences in the use of Wikipedia among areas of academic expertise. As a consequence, a greater application of Wikipedia both as a teaching resource and as a driver for teaching innovation would require much more active institutional policies and some changes in the dominant academic culture among faculty members.

Online Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, a book review

Peer-reviewed

An empirical study on faculty perceptions and teaching practices of Wikipedia

Peer-reviewed

Matemáticas y juego = Mathematics and games

In this article we try to look at the learning of mathematics through games in the first years of schooling. The use of game resources in the class should not be carried out in a uniquely intuitive way but rather in a manner that contains some preliminary reflections such as, what do we understand by games? Why use games as a resource in the Mathematics classroom? And what does its use imply?

Research and teaching: a holy or an unholy alliance?

Much of the self-image of the Western university hangs on the idea that research and teaching are intimately connected. The central axiom here is that research and teaching are mutually supportive of each other. An institution lacking such a set of relationships between research and teaching falls short of what it means to be a university. This set of beliefs raises certain questions: Is it the case that the presence of such a mutually supportive set of relationships between research and teaching is a necessary condition of the fulfilment of the idea of the university? (A conceptual question). And is it true that, in practice today, such a mutually supportive set of relationships between research and teaching characterises universities? (An empirical question). In my talk, I want to explore these matters in a critical vein. I shall suggest that: a) In practice today, such a mutually supportive set of relationships between research and teaching is in jeopardy. Far from supporting each other, very often research and teaching contend against each other. Research and teaching are becoming two separate ideologies, with their own interest structures. b) Historically, the supposed tight link between research and teaching is both of recent origin and far from universally achieved in universities. Institutional separateness between research and teaching is and has been evident, both across institutions and even across departments in the same institution. c) Conceptually, research and teaching are different activities: each is complex and neither is reducible to the other. In theory, therefore, research and teaching may be said to constitute a holy alliance but in practice, we see more of an unholy alliance. If, then, in an ideal world, a positive relationship between research and teaching is still a worthwhile goal, how might it be construed and worked for? Seeing research and teaching as two discrete and unified sets of activity is now inadequate. Much better is a construal of research and teaching as themselves complexes, as intermingling pools of activity helping to form the liquid university that is emerging today. On this view, research and teaching are fluid spaces, ever on the move, taking up new shapes, and themselves dividing and reforming, as the university reworks its own destiny in modern society. On such a perspective, working out a productive relationship between research and teaching is a complex project. This is an alliance that is neither holy nor unholy. It is an uneasy alliance, with temporary accommodations and continuous new possibilities.