MATHEMATICAL MODELING IN THE EARLY YEARS OF FUNDAMENTAL EDUCATION

Abstract

Mathematical modeling has established itself as a relevant pedagogical approach for teaching mathematics, providing teachers with tools to foster critical thinking and the contextualization of mathematical concepts. Therefore, this article presents a systematic literature review on the integration of mathematical modeling into the continuing education of teachers working in the early grades of elementary school. We analyzed academic publications in the following databases: the CAPES Journal Portal, the Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (BDTD), and the CAPES Thesis and Dissertation Catalog. We chose these databases because they are the primary scientific resources in this field of study and are readily accessible. Our objective is to analyze the contributions of mathematical modeling to the continuing education of teachers in the early grades of elementary school, based on a systematic literature review, highlighting pedagogical approaches, training practices, and impacts on teaching practice. To address the objective of this article, we formulated the following research question: What does the research say about Mathematical Modeling in the Continuing Education of Elementary School Teachers? Our population consists of elementary school teachers, and our intervention is mathematical modeling. Methodologically, we employed qualitative research, in accordance with Creswell (2007), and to analyze the data, we used content analysis, following the approach of Bardin (1977) and Rodrigues (2019). As a result, this study reveals that there is little research focused on the continuing education of elementary school teachers using mathematical modeling. The results also show that teacher training based on mathematical modeling contributes to a better understanding and application of mathematical concepts in the school context, broadening teaching strategies and promoting student learning.