Neuroscience in Mathematics Teacher Education: A Literature Review of Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

This article investigates how Brazilian research has addressed cognitive neuroscience in the training of mathematics teachers, considering both initial and continuing education. It assumes that understanding the cognitive processes involved in learning, such as attention, memory, emotion, and reasoning, can offer relevant support for pedagogical practice in mathematics. Methodologically, the study is characterized as a qualitative literature review, carried out through the analysis of theses and dissertations available in the Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (BDTD). Initially, 35 works that articulate neuroscience and Mathematics Education were cataloged, from which a more specific selection of 12 studies that explicitly address the training of mathematics teachers was chosen. The analysis of the works was guided by thematic categories defined a priori, allowing for an examination of the role attributed to neuroscience as a theoretical framework, its application in pedagogical practices and training actions, as well as the identification of gaps in teacher training. The results indicate that, in most of the analyzed research, neuroscience does not appear merely illustratively, but as a structuring theoretical foundation, influencing the methodological design, data analysis, and the development of pedagogical proposals. Furthermore, a significant investment in the practical applicability of neuroscientific concepts is observed, through didactic sequences, workshops, pedagogical interventions, and teacher training actions. Paradoxically, the studies also show that neuroscience, although consolidated in academic production, remains underrepresented in initial and continuing teacher training curricula, frequently being cited as an absent or insufficiently explored area of ​​knowledge. This tension reveals the need for curricular revision and training policies that promote a more systematic integration between Mathematics Education and Cognitive Neuroscience. It is concluded that the field shows relevant advances but still demands research that deepens the articulation between theory and practice, especially regarding teacher training and the effective impacts of these approaches on the teaching and learning of mathematics.