Recursos Educacionais para o ensino de frações no Profmat: um panorama da produção acadêmica

Abstract

This Final Undergraduate Project (TCC) aims to present an overview of educational resources designed for the teaching of fractions. The focus of the analysis is on the materials proposed and used in the dissertations of the Professional Master’s in Mathematics in National Network (PROFMAT). The relevance of this study is amplified by the recent reformulation of the program’s National Regulations, published on August 31, 2024, which, in its Article 13, began to require the development of an educational resource, in addition to the dissertation, for the attainment of the Master’s degree. Framed as a state-of-the-art study, this documentary research seeks to identify, characterize, and describe the academic production on the topic. Data collection was carried out in the PROFMAT repositories, specifically in the “Dissertations” section. The initial search using the term “fractions” resulted in 112 final projects. However, for the selection of relevant works, and following the time frame established from the date of the new regulations, the presence of the “REC” (Educational Resource) label was observed, identifying only one (1) dissertation that met this criterion. The selected work was then meticulously analyzed using a categorization form, which allowed for the collection of detailed data on the type, purpose, context of application, and specific characteristics of the identified educational resource. The results reveal the dissertation by Isabella Cruz, which signals an initial trend toward adopting educational games as a response to the new requirement. This choice may indicate a preference among master’s students for playful and practical strategies that enhance the applicability of mathematical content in the school context. More than a mere record, this finding represents an initial milestone in understanding how the new regulations may transform PROFMAT’s academic production. By showing that, to date, there is an extremely small number of works with the “REC” label, the research points to a fertile field for investigation, in which much remains to be explored, tested, and consolidated. The findings reinforce the need to closely monitor the evolution of this production, in order to understand not only what types of resources will be created, but also how they may effectively impact mathematics education in the country.