Teaching and Communication of Mathematics

Code:

EC/DC4007

Acronym:

EC/DC4007

Level:

400

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Science Teaching/Science Divulgation

Instance: 2023/2024 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Science Education Unit
Course/CS Responsible:	Master in Science Education and Communication

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
M:EDC	1	Official Study Plan 2019/2020	1	-	6	42	162

Teaching language

Portuguese
Obs.: Português

Objectives

The main goal of the course is to create a discussion and reflection forum around some fundamental issues concerning the teaching and learning of mathematics, as well as some issues related to the importance of (public) spaces of dissemination of mathematics to school students as well as to the general public.

Learning outcomes and competences

At the end of the unit in Teaching and Dissemination of Mathematics, students should:

- know and reflect on the main curricular orientations for the teaching of Mathematics;

- recognize various types of mathematical tasks, their potentialities and limitations;

- analyze inquiry-based teaching and assessment for learning practices in Mathematics;

- know public endeavors of Dissemination of Mathematics, their adequacy to an enlarged audience and in their relationship to mathematics teaching

Working method

Presencial

Program

1. Curricular orientations for the teaching of Mathematics


2. Mathematical tasks: types, potentialities, and limitations for the learning of Mathematics


3. Inquiry-based teaching of Mathematics: characteristics and practices


4. Assessment for learning: principles and practices


5. Spaces of Dissemination of Mathematics: examples, tecniques and practices, potentialities, limitations, and adequacy to a large audience and to Mathematics teaching

Mandatory literature

João Pedro da Ponte; Práticas profissionais de professores de matemática, IEUL, 2014. ISBN: ISBN 978-989-8753-06-9
Barbeau, E. J., & Taylor, P. J.; Challenging mathematics in and beyound the classroom, Springer, 2009

Teaching methods and learning activities

The classes of Teaching and Dissemination of Mathematics will include moments of direct teaching, whenever necessary. Yet, they will be mainly developed under an inquiry-based teaching and learning approach, based on practical tasks and debates about texts based on research in Mathematics Education and on existing literature on Dissemination of Mathematics.

Students will complete several assignments, individually and in small groups, towards the presentation and/or discussion of texts. The critical and reflective component of all assignments will be privileged, regarding students’ oral interventions and presentations, as well as their written productions.

If possible, students will engage in some field trips, to schools or spaces of Dissemination of Mathematics.

Students’ learning assessment includes oral and written assignments of diverse nature, with no final exam. Assessment will be made from a perspective of assessment for learning

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation without final exam

Assessment Components

designation	Weight (%)
Trabalho escrito	50,00
Apresentação/discussão de um trabalho científico	50,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	64,00
Frequência das aulas	42,00
Trabalho de campo	50,00
Apresentação/discussão de um trabalho científico	6,00
Total:	162,00

Eligibility for exams

Students' participation in class sessions is mandatory, except for student-workers. However, these students are strongly advised to attend the classes of this course.

Calculation formula of final grade

The classification is the average of two written assignments, one about topics of mathematics education and another about topics of dissemination of mathematics, both of them presented and discussed orally.

 

Whenever a student does not hand in an assignment that constitutes an assessment component, or fails to present and discuss orally an assignment, its evalutation is obviously null in that component.

Examinations or Special Assignments

No special assignments

Classification improvement

Unless assignments are proposed in a two-phase style, no student can improve the classification obtained in any assignment constituting an assessment component, throughout the semester