Estíbaliz Aragón Mendizábal and Gamal Cerda Etchepare

University of Cadiz and University of Concepción (Chile)

Challenges and Issues in the Teaching-Learning Process of Mathematics from a Multidisciplinary Perspective

Participants: Mª Carmen Canto López1; Estíbaliz Aragón Mendizábal1; José Orrantia Rodríguez2  and Gamal Cerda3

1University of Cadiz; 2University of Salamanca; 3University of Concepción (Chile)

Symposium Summary

Introduction: Psychologists, neuropsychologists, teachers, pedagogues and psycho-pedagogues, join forces to give answers to the students' needs, trying to provide them with new methods and instruments adjusted to their interests and reality, contextualizing the learning and bringing the student closer to concepts that are inaccessible due to their level of abstraction and complexity. Likewise, they seek to use new technologies as a means of learning, taking advantage of their benefits and motivating effect on students. Methods: Several studies are presented to shed light on the above-mentioned subject. They analyze the previous assessment of students' skills, as well as the effects derived from the measures used in the field of school mathematics. Results: Results are combined from both specific experiences to analyze the effectiveness of educational support instruments and the implementation of teaching methodologies, which are shown both at a quantitative and qualitative level. Likewise, analyses are collected that show which of the variables involved in the learning of mathematics requires higher priority in the intervention, depending on the developmental stage in which the students are. Discussion: One of the promising aspects of early mathematical learning that research persistently supports is the importance of general and specific cognitive requirements in mathematical learning. These findings should be taken into account and can be translated into the educational practice of the school. Besides, focusing attention on education and on competencies that are crucial for the development of society, such as mathematical skills, will bring initially satisfactory benefits for students; and in the long term, an improvement that can be achieved by taking individualized measures and by profiling specific and innovative experiences in the classroom.

Short CV

Estíbaliz Aragón Mendizábal graduated in Nursing, UCA (2000-2003); Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, UNED (2003-2008); Master in Psychological Intervention in Risk Contexts with an extraordinary certificate, UCA (2009-2010); PhD in Social and Legal Sciences with an extraordinary certificate and international mention, UCA (2014).  Currently, she is a Lecturer in the Department of Psychology at the University of Cadiz. Member of the research group HUM 634. She has published research papers on mathematical cognition in journals of impact and has participated in R+D+i projects of national and international scope on the subject.

 

Gamal Cerda Etchepare is an associate professor at the Faculty of Education, a member of the Chilean Association of Researchers in Education (ACHIEE), an associate lecturer at the Center for Advanced Research in Education at the University of Chile (CIAE) and the Laboratory for Studies on Convivencia and Prevention of Violence at the University of Córdoba (LAECOVI). PhD in Applied Psychology from the University of Córdoba, Spain. Psychologist, Master in Education and Professor of Philosophy. Main lines of research in the areas of cognition, teaching-learning and school mathematics. Responsible researcher and c-researcher of several projects of a competitive nature in Chile, Fondecyt, Fondef, PIA Basal, Mec, Explora, oriented to examine factors associated to academic achievement, especially in the field of mathematics, together with this, design and implement proposals aimed at improving achievement in this school discipline, especially in initial cycles of education, including cognitive and socio-affective variables, as well as the school context. Author of numerous publications in mainstream journals, as well as texts and support material in mathematics. Evaluator of research projects, eligible for the national competition, dependent on the National Scientific and Technological Commission of Chile (Conicyt), evaluator of articles in various journals (Educación XXI, Frontiers, Estudios Pedagógicos, etc.).

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