Ensinar matemática na perspectiva de Montessori

Abstract

This study aims to understand the phenomenon of “teaching-mathematics-from-theMontessori-perspective”, in an investigation guided by the central question: “What does it mean to teach mathematics from the Montessori perspective?”. This overarching question gives rise to, and is constituted by, underlying inquiries such as: How is the teaching of mathematics presented in Montessori studies? What does it mean to be a teacher for Maria Montessori? How do contemporary Montessori reference-trainers express the teaching of mathematics in their courses? How does the Montessori perspective approach the education of mathematics teachers? What are the characteristics of the manipulable materials mentioned— or not—in Montessori’s works and attributed to her authorship? To interpret and understand each of these questions, the research involved revisiting the author’s bibliography to identify elements related to them, as well as engaging with individuals involved in teacher education specifically within the Montessori approach. Four Brazilian reference-trainers, listed by the Montessori Organization of Brazil (OMB), were individually interviewed to explore their experiences in preparing teachers to teach mathematics from the Montessori perspective. Each transcribed account was treated as a descriptive text of the participant’s lived experience—not as an exhaustive representation of their knowledge, but as potential reflections. These texts underwent two analytical phases, ideographic and nomothetic, according to a hermeneuticphenomenological approach. This process led to broad generalizations of the phenomenon, presented as open categories, which were discussed in light of both literature and the participants’ own narratives, aiming to broaden understandings and possibilities for teaching mathematics. These categories are: manipulable materials for teaching and learning mathematics; “Human Tendencies” and “Cosmic Education” as a foundation for interdisciplinary thinking; the formation of the “Montessori guide”; and Montessori’s views on teaching and learning. These research movements support the creation of the study’s product: an inventory of manipulable materials created and catalogued by Maria Montessori for teaching mathematics, as mentioned by the interviewees or identified throughout the investigation.