INQUIRY-BASED MATHEMATICS EDUCATION IN EVERYDAY LIFE: REFLECTIONS ON THE INTEGRATIVE PROJECT IN INITIAL TEACHER EDUCATION

Abstract

This paper presents an analysis of the Integrative Project course in the Mathematics Education program at IFPI, focusing particularly on the contextualization of knowledge. It seeks to highlight how this curricular component contributes to teacher education and to the teaching and learning of mathematical content by linking academic knowledge to everyday knowledge from a dialogic, reflective, and participatory perspective. The study draws on the work of authors such as D’Ambrósio (2012), Freire (1994; 1996), and Mendes (2009), based on the idea that alternative teaching methods must be developed so that the content becomes meaningful to students and leads to meaningful learning. The methodology employed included a literature review, observation, and analysis of the students’ work produced for the course. It is concluded that the Integrative Project course brought students closer to the practical and contextualized application of mathematics, fostering meaningful learning by connecting academic content with social reality, and that the use of an inquiry-based methodology—which values students’ prior knowledge and active participation—proved effective for the teaching and learning of mathematics.