Search

This paper presents the results of a study developed in the context of indigenous teachers education from Xingu Indian Park, Brazil. The indigenous bilingual (or multilingual in some cases) teachers that participated in this education program were from 14 ethnic groups. The research focused on a mathematics textbook production, written in indigenous language by indigenous teachers to be used at schools in the Park. The paper discusses the numeracy-literacy practices in this process and focuses on the meanings, values and ways of use that are related to numbers, writing and drawing. In particular, mathematics problems written by the indigenous teachers (in indigenous language and Portuguese) are analyzed. The analysis shows how aspects of orality influence the writing of these problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the fact that in Brazil, schools rarely give attention to the importance of properly using strategies applied for mathematics in classroom, there are many works to show the importance of the ability in understanding them. One area of interest related to this issue is the didactic of mathematics in France. Here we give a panoramic vision of this area of study. This paper also analyzes a study of elementary algebra using a didactic sequence with balance scale to see if students make sense of the strategies learned. At the same time the usefulness of this cultural artifact used as an instructional aim is verified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]