Didactic-Pedagogical contributions of continuing teacher education for the development of Probabilistic and Statistical Thinking

Abstract

The continuing education of teachers who teach mathematics in the early years of Elementary School has been widely discussed in the educational field, especially due to the need to deepen didactic and methodological knowledge. Based on this premise, this research investigated the contributions of a continuing education program aimed at the development of teaching strategies that favor students' Probabilistic and Statistical Thoughts. The study was carried out in a municipal public school system in the state of Paraíba, and involved teachers working in the early years. The training proposal was developed collaboratively, with a focus on strengthening mathematical knowledge, especially in content related to the thematic unit of Probability and Statistics. The research adopted a qualitative approach, configuring itself as a case study, which allowed a deep understanding of the perceptions of teachers and the meanings attributed to training. The data, collected through the teachers' statements, revealed difficulties in working with the objects of knowledge of this thematic unit, confirming notes from previous research. The results show that continuing education is essential to qualify and mobilize teaching practice, as long as it occurs in an articulated way between theory and practice, considering the personal, cognitive and contextual aspects of the participants. It is concluded that discussing specific contents such as Probability and Statistics in training programs contributes significantly to the professional development of teachers and, consequently, to the mathematical learning of students.