Tasks based on ethnomathematical practices: didactic dimension of the didactic-mathematical knowledge of pre-service teachers

dimensão didática do conhecimento didático-matemático de professores em formação

Abstract

The article presents the results of an analysis of the didactic dimension of the didactic-mathematical knowledge of pre-service mathematics teachers in Ecuador, based on their reflection on tasks grounded in local ethnomathematical practices. The study is theoretically framed within the Ethnomathematics Program and the Ontosemiotic Approach (OSA), specifically drawing on the Didactic–Mathematical Knowledge (DMK) model and the Didactic Suitability Criteria (DSC). The research was conducted with 48 students from a public Ecuadorian university who were enrolled in an Ethnomathematics course. As part of the course, the prospective teachers investigated local cultural practices—mainly artisanal activities and recreational practices—and reported how these could be integrated into school teaching. The qualitative analysis of the final reports revealed, first, that the selected ethnomathematical practices focused predominantly on artisanal professional activities, such as pottery, carpentry, or hat making, and to a lesser extent on traditional games. Second, the results highlight weaknesses in the participants’ didactic knowledge. Although the prospective teachers recognize mathematics as a sociocultural product and value the mathematical processes present in the practices studied, they show limitations when addressing key aspects of teaching, such as classroom management, assessment, interaction, curricular adaptation, and the use of resources. The reflections focused mainly on epistemic and ecological suitability, while the cognitive, interactional, mediational, and affective dimensions were scarcely addressed. The study concludes that, despite the curricular inclusion of Ethnomathematics in Ecuadorian teacher education, it is necessary to strengthen the theoretical and methodological preparation of prospective teachers. In particular, it highlights the importance of more systematically integrating the development of didactic knowledge in order to achieve contextualized, reflective, and intercultural mathematics teaching.