COMPARATIVE STUDY ON MATHEMATICS TEACHING IN PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM: BRAZIL AND THE UNITED STATES

• Grant number: 15/00957-9
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: October 01, 2015
• End date: September 30, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Education - Curriculum
• Principal Investigator: Harryson Júnio Lessa Gonçalves
• Grantee: Harryson Júnio Lessa Gonçalves
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia (FEIS). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Ilha Solteira. Ilha Solteira , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Ana Lúcia Braz Dias ; Deise Aparecida Peralta

Abstract

This research project is configured from the following research problem: what are the differences and similarities on the mathematics role in professional education curriculums of Brazil and the United States of America on the technical job training? The following objectives are outlined: to analyze similarities and singularities of the organization of Brazilian and American education systems and their legal frameworks and curriculum structure, highlighting the possible specific guidelines for the teaching of Mathematics in job training; analyze similarities and singularities inherent needs, difficulties and mathematics training strategies present in professional training in the context of the industry area courses of the institutions surveyed. Therefore, a comparative study will be conducted in two public institutions of professional education (Brazilian and American). In the Brazilian context will be analyzed the organization and curriculum development of a public school of Professional Education in São Paulo and, in the US context, will be a similar analysis in a public school of Professional Education in the State of Michigan. The interest in the subject is based on the need for understanding the role of the professional education in the educational system of these nations. The methodology is outlined as "qualitative research in education", exploratory, which uses theoretical and methodological assumptions of Comparative Education, constructed from four stages: (1st) descriptive phase - observations and descriptions; (2nd) Explanatory Phase - introduces interpretation, in order to explain and understand; (3rd) Juxtaposing Phase - first attempt comparison, providing national verification in the context of the selected set of comparison criteria for the evaluation and analysis of side-by-side; This allows, for example, homologs, analogs, and various phenomena to be derived, together with comparative possible hypotheses; (4th) Comparative Phase - comparative hypotheses are tested by using the systematic comparison, the relations between countries are evaluated by reference to the comparison criteria and conclusions can be drawn from the subject to be searched. Therefore, there are as methodological procedures: literature review - to contextualize historical conditions, economic and socio-cultural of the nations investigated; document analysis - curricular structure of the investigated nations; interviews (semi-structured) - with education staff of educational institutions. The results will be analyzed and interpreted from the Content Analysis. (AU)