Changes in test scores distribution for students of the fourth grade in Brazil: a relative distribution analysis for the years 1997 to 2005

To assess the quality of school education, much of educational research is concerned with comparisons of test scores means or medians. In this paper, we shift this focus and explore test scores data by addressing some often neglected questions. In the case of Brazil, the mean of test scores in Math for students of the fourth grade has declined approximately 0,2 standard deviation in the late 1990s. But what about changes in the distribution of scores? It is unclear whether the decline was caused by deterioration in student performance in upper and/or lower tails of the distribution. To answer this question, we propose the use of the relative distribution method developed by Handcock and Morris (1999). The advantage of this methodology is that it compares two distributions of test scores data through a single distribution and synthesizes all the differences between them. Moreover, it is possible to decompose the total difference between two distributions in a level effect (changes in median) and shape effect (changes in shape of the distribution). We find that the decline of average-test scores is mainly caused by a worsening in the position of all students throughout the distribution of scores and is not only specific to any quantile of distribution.

The impact of structured teaching methods on the quality of education

This paper estimates the impact of the use of structured methods on the quality of education of the students in primary public school in Brazil. Structure methods encompass a range of pedagogical and managerial instruments applied to the education system. In recent years, several municipalities in the State of São Paulo have contracted out private educational providers to implement these structured methods in their schooling system. Their pedagogical proposal involves structuring curriculum contents, elaboration and use of teachers and students textbooks, and training and supervision of the teachers and instructors. Using a difference in differences estimation strategy, we find that the fourth and eighth grader students in the municipalities with structured methods performed better in Portuguese and Math than students in municipalities not exposed to the methods. We find no differences in approval rates. However, a robustness check is not able to discard the possibility that unobserved municipal characteristics may affect the results.

Child labor and learning

This paper investigates the impact of working while in school on learning outcomes through the use of a unique micro panel dataset of Brazilian students. The potential endogeneity is addressed through the use of di erence-in-di erence and instrumental variable estimators. A negative e ect of working on learning outcomes in both math and Portuguese is found. The e ects of child work range from 3% to 8% of a standard deviation decline in test score which represents a loss of about a quarter to a half of a year of learning on average. We also explore the minimum legal age to entry in the labor market to induce an exogenous variation in child labor status. The results reinforce the detrimental e ects of child labor on learning. Additionally, it is found that this e ect is likely due to the interference of work with the time kids can devote to school and school work.

Drug battles and school achievement: evidence from Rio de Janeiro's favelas

This paper examines the effects of armed conflicts between drug gangs in Rio de Janeiro's favelas on student achievement. We explore variation in violence that occurs across time and space when gangs battle over territories. Within-school estimates indicate that students from schools exposed to violence score less in math exams. The effect of violence increases with conflict intensity, duration, and proximity to exam dates; and decreases with the distance between the school and the conflict location. Finally, we find that school supply is an important mechanism driving the achievement results; armed conflicts are significantly associated with higher teacher absenteeism, principal turnover, and temporary school closings.

Visualização de informação em sistemas científicos

Este trabalho é um estudo sobre a aplicação de técnicas de visualização de informação em sistemas de software científico, i.e., sistemas de software voltados para matemática, ciências e engenharias. Enquanto sistemas dessa natureza normalmente fazem uso da visualização científica e figuram como caso de sucesso nessa área, nem sempre são projetados considerando os princípios de visualização de informação. Esse trabalho tem por objetivo avaliar a aplicação desse conceitos em alguns sistemas reais, desenvolvidos com diferentes níveis de entendimento nessa área de conhecimento e com base nessas experiências propor o desenvolvimento de componentes de software capazes de facilitar a criação de sistemas semelhantes e ao mesmo tempo promover a aplicação destes conceitos.

Business Plan, financial and risk analysis from the start-up mathrix

Mathrix is an e-learning math website that will be launched in March 2016. This master thesis offered a unique chance to interact with experienced supervisors in venture capitalism and project investment. It could serve as guidelines for entrepreneurs who intend to raise funds. Starting with the company’s business plan, the thesis focuses on estimating the company’s value with its return on investment using three scenarios and taking into consideration the risks evolved.

Um estudo sobre as origens da Lógica Matemáitca

The present study has as objective to explaining about the origins of the mathematical logic. This has its beginning attributed to the autodidactic English mathematician George Boole (1815-1864), especially because his books The Mathematical Analysis of Logic (1847) and An Investigation of the Laws of Thought (1854) are recognized as the inaugural works of the referred branch. However, surprisingly, in the same time another mathematician called Augutus of Morgan (1806-1871) it also published a book, entitled Formal Logic (1847), in defense of the mathematic logic. Even so, times later on this same century, another work named Elements of Logic (1875) it appeared evidencing the Aristotelian logic with Richard Whately (1787-1863), considered the better Aristotelian logical of that time. This way, our research, permeated by the history of the mathematics, it intends to study the logic produced by these submerged personages in the golden age of the mathematics (19th century) to we compare the valid systems in referred period and we clarify the origins of the mathematical logic. For that we looked for to delineate the panorama historical wrapper of this study. We described, shortly, biographical considerations about these three representatives of the logic of the 19th century formed an alliance with the exhibition of their point of view as for the logic to the light of the works mentioned above. In this sense, we aspirated to present considerations about what effective Aristotelian´s logic existed in the period of Boole and De Morgan comparing it with the new emerging logic (the mathematical logic). Besides of this, before the textual analysis of the works mentioned above, we still looked for to confront the systems of Boole and De Morgan for we arrive to the reason because the Boole´s system was considered better and more efficient. Separate of this preponderance we longed to study the flaws verified in the logical system of Boole front to their contemporaries' production, verifying, for example, if they repeated or not. We concluded that the origins of the mathematical logic is in the works of logic of George Boole, because, in them, has the presentation of a new logic, matematizada for the laws of the thought similar to the one of the arithmetic, while De Morgan, in your work, expand the Aristotelian logic, but it was still arrested to her

Uma visita ao universo matemático de Lewis Carrol e o (re)encontro com sua lógica do nonsense

Notable mathematics teacher, Lewis Carroll, pseudonym of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (1832-1898), made the mixture of mathematics with literature a ludic environment for learning that discipline. Author of Alice s Adventures In Wonderland and its sequel Alice Through The Looking Glass, he eventually created a real and complex universe which uses what we call the logic of the nonsense as an element to motivate the development of mathematical thinking of the reader, taking it as well, learn by establishing a link between the concrete (mathematics) and the imaginary (their universe). In order to investigate and discuss the educational potential of their works and state some elements that can contribute to a decentralized math education from the traditional method of following the models and decorate formulas, we visited his works based on the studies of archeology of knowledge (FOUCAULT, 2007), the rational thought and symbolic thinking (VERGANI, 2003) and about the importance of stories and narratives to the development of human cognition (FARIAS, 2006). Through a descriptive, analytical study, we used the literary construction and presented part of our study in form of a mathematical novel, to give the mathematical school a particular charm, without depriving it of its basics properties as discipline and content. Our study showed how the works of Carroll have a strong didactic element that can deploy in various activities of study and teaching for mathematics classes

Uma análise histórico-epistemológica do conceito de grupo

This work aims to analyze the historical and epistemological development of the Group concept related to the theory on advanced mathematical thinking proposed by Dreyfus (1991). Thus it presents pedagogical resources that enable learning and teaching of algebraic structures as well as propose greater meaning of this concept in mathematical graduation programs. This study also proposes an answer to the following question: in what way a teaching approach that is centered in the Theory of Numbers and Theory of Equations is a model for the teaching of the concept of Group? To answer this question a historical reconstruction of the development of this concept is done on relating Lagrange to Cayley. This is done considering Foucault s (2007) knowledge archeology proposal theoretically reinforced by Dreyfus (1991). An exploratory research was performed in Mathematic graduation courses in Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA) and Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN). The research aimed to evaluate the formation of concept images of the students in two algebra courses based on a traditional teaching model. Another experience was realized in algebra at UFPA and it involved historical components (MENDES, 2001a; 2001b; 2006b), the development of multiple representations (DREYFUS, 1991) as well as the formation of concept images (VINNER, 1991). The efficiency of this approach related to the extent of learning was evaluated, aiming to acknowledge the conceptual image established in student s minds. At the end, a classification based on Dreyfus (1991) was done relating the historical periods of the historical and epistemological development of group concepts in the process of representation, generalization, synthesis, and abstraction, proposed here for the teaching of algebra in Mathematics graduation course

Possibilidades de exploração da história da ciência na formação do professor de matemática: mobilizando saberes a partir da obra de Nicolau Copérnico de revolutionibus orbium coelestium

This study aims to analyze the implications that the knowledge of an important work for the History of Science, De revolutionibus orbium coelestium , by Nicholas Copernicus, can bring for the formation of Mathematics professors. The study focuses on Book I of Copernicus s work, where, in the final part, is found the Table of the Subtense Straight Lines in a Circle, a true sine table constructed by the author. The study considers two theoretical references, the History of Science and of Mathematics, in the professor s formation searched amongst others in Miguel and Miorm, Brito, Neves and Martins, and Radford, and the necessary teaching knowledge professors mst have, on the basis of Gauthier, Schulman and Imbernón amongst others, through which it is established a net of knowledge grouped in dimensions such as mathematical, psycho pedagogical, cultural and practical diversity, that guide the study analysis. In the search for more necessary elements to enrich the analysis, beyond the theoretical research in Book I, it is carried through, with under graduation pupils, future Math professors, the construction of a sine table following the project used in De revolutionibus . The study still makes a description of the life and work of Nicholas Copernicus, detaching the historical context where the author lived and the conceptions about the Universe existing at that time. The research reveals that the studied work is an important source of culture, able to provide to the Mathematics professor in formation, beyond the conceptual and procedural mathematical knowledge, a cultural knowledge that allows him to be opened to the knowledge of other areas that not his specific area, and so to acquire knowledge about the world history, the development of sciences and of the society

Do hematologic constituents really increase due to endurance exercise in horses?

Este estudo objetivou avaliar o comportamento dos componentes do sangue em cavalos que concluiram com êxito provas de enduro em condições tropicais. Punção da veia jugular foi realizada para coletar o sangue antes, durante e após o evento. Os dados foram analisados por meio de uma abordagem matemática, com base no hematócrito e volume de sangue onde a variação percentual no volume plasmático foi utilizada para corrigir os valores de cada variável analisada. O nível de significância adotado foi P<0,05. O modelo matemático proposto para avaliar as concentrações de componentes do sangue permitiu a observação de um padrão diferente no comportamento de várias variáveis plasmáticas, destacando que a abordagem seguida pelos autores é mais sensível do que aquelas que não seguiram este procedimento. em conclusão, o método utilizado neste estudo permitiu acompanhar os processos fisiológicos que realmente ocorrem durante o esforço de resistência em condições tropicais.

Os jogos com regras na perspectiva do desenho universal: contribuições à educação matemática inclusiva

To think about a school that is for everyone has been a challenge for many people connected to education worldwide demanding from researchers of each level of knowledge an association to such effort. The study presented on this paper unites itself to the voices, movements and researches of these scholars, seeking to contribute on building possibilities on which mathematics can be thought and worked on schools in order for every student to learn, whether they have some sort of deficiency, disorders, syndromes or not. This essay has the goal to investigate the possibilities of inclusive pedagogical practices mediated by math games with rules, developed and used throughout the Universal Design perspective; a qualitative research took place with a collaborative methodology that involved managers, teachers and students from a public school situated on the city of Natal/Brazil. On the investigation math games with rules were developed and made according to the Universal Design concept, starting from initial studies which articulated theoretical groundings to the reality of school and the teacher s conceptions. After that, classes using these tools were planned collectively which oriented inclusive pedagogical practices of classes from the 1st to the 4th year of elementary school. Throughout the process many instruments such as: tape recording, video footages, notes from the researcher; the teachers and the students were used for constant work evaluation and also to record the research data. In the end, the data indicated effective contributions of the mediated pedagogical practices by games with rules under the perspective of Universal Design for Inclusive Mathematics Education

Números complexos: uma proposta de mudança metodológica para uma aprendizagem significativa no ensino médio

This work presents a proposal of a methodological change to the teaching and learning of the complex numbers in the Secondary education. It is based on the inquiries and difficulties of students detected in the classrooms about the teaching of complex numbers and a questioning of the context of the mathematics teaching - that is the reason of the inquiry of this dissertation. In the searching for an efficient learning and placing the work as a research, it is presented a historical reflection of the evolution of the concept of complex numbers pointing out their more relevant focuses, such as: symbolic, numeric, geometrical and algebraic ones. Then, it shows the description of the ways of the research based on the methodology of the didactic engineering. This one is developed from the utilization of its four stages, where in the preliminary analysis stage, two data surveys are presented: the first one is concerning with the way of presenting the contents of the complex numbers in math textbooks, and the second one is concerning to the interview carried out with High school teachers who work with complex numbers in the practice of their professions. At first, in the analysis stage, it is presented the prepared and organized material to be used in the following stage. In the experimentation one, it is presented the carrying out process that was made with the second year High school students in the Centro Federal de Educação tecnológica do Rio Grande do Norte CEFET-RN. At the end, it presents, in the subsequent and validation stages, the revelation of the obtained results from the observations made in classrooms in the carrying out of the didactic sequence, the students talking and the data collection

A modelagem matemática como alternativa de ensino e aprendizagem da geometria na educação de jovens e adultos

This is work itself insert in the mathematics education field of the youth and adult education to aim to practitioners of the educational action into the mathematics area performing to with this is teaching kind, adopting to as parameter the Mathematics Molding approach. The motive of the research is to draw up a application proposal of the molding mathematics as teaching and learning geometry alternative in the youth and adult education. The research it develops in three class of the third level (series 5th and 6th) of he youth and adults education in the one school municipal from the Natal outskirts. Its have qualitative nature with participating observation approach, once performing to directly in to research environment as a mathematics teacher of those same classes. We are used questionnaires, lesson notes and analyses of the officials documents as an basis of claim instruments. The results indicates that activity used the mathematic moldings were appreciated the savoir-faire of the student in to knowledge construction process, when search develop to significant learning methods, helping to student build has mathematics connections with other knowledge areas and inside mathematics himself, so much that enlarges your understanding and assist has in your participation in the other socials place, over there propitiate to change in student and teacher posture with relation to mathematic classroom dynamics