Theory of didactical situations as a tool to understand and develop mathematics teaching practices

Abstract

This article aims to discuss how the theory of didactical situations in mathematics (TDS1) can be used to answer research questions concerning regular teaching practices, production of resources for regular teaching, and teacher development. In the first part we focus on TDS and the way it may be a tool for the researcher to understand teaching practices and the way it may contribute to develop teaching practices, helping teachers identify questions useful for their practice. In the second part, we present analyses using TDS in two contexts in which researchers worked with teachers, making explicit or not the concepts they used. The third part approaches, from these two contexts, the way TDS may help the collaboration between researchers and teachers (or teacher educators), in research on teacher development, in particular in the case of producing resources helping teachers to prepare their class. The comparison of the two contexts informs on the specific contribution of TDS in understanding and developing mathematics teaching practices.

Learning Obstacle of Students in Geometrical Sequence and Series

“…The student also admitted that he did not understand the basic concepts of geometrical sequences and series. According to Unaenah, this happens because there are differences in the demands of thinking on teaching materials so that students experience ontogenical obstacles [7]. The learning obstacles experienced by students in question number 3 can be seen in Table 4 below.…”

Reivindicando la Teoría de las Situaciones Didácticas: un Paradigma de Investigación Vigente en la Didáctica de las Matemáticas

“…Brousseau propone el aprendizaje como un proceso doble: un proceso de adaptación (asimilación y acomodación) a un medio que es productor de contradicciones, de dificultades y desequilibrios y, un proceso de aculturación (adaptación a un saber cultural) por la entrada en las prácticas de una institución. En este sentido, conceptos teóricos de la TSD sostienen este proceso: la devolución que asegura las condiciones para la adaptación y, el contrato didáctico y la institucionalización que aseguran las condiciones para la aculturación (MARGOLINAS et al, 2011;HOULE, 2016;MANGIANTE-ORSOLA;STRØMSKAG, 2018;SANTOS, 2021).…”