Banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO: MAYRA CAMELO MADEIRA DE MOURA

Uma banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO de DOUTORADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : MAYRA CAMELO MADEIRA DE MOURA
DATE: 30/08/2024
TIME: 14:00
LOCAL: online
TITLE:

Coping with mathematics anxiety and gender disparity: an intervention proposal with professional and technological education students through the stimulation of critical and creative thinking in mathematics

KEY WORDS:

mathematical creativity; mathematical anxiety; gender disparity; critical thinking; math education.

PAGES: 113
BIG AREA: Ciências Humanas
AREA: Educação
SUMMARY:

Mathematical anxiety (MA) is characterized by a set of negative reactions experienced during
the process of learning mathematics, leading to a state that can cause frustration, emotional
weariness, tachycardia, mental confusion, escape-avoidance behavior, among other effects,
impacting cognitive, behavioral, and physiological responses when dealing with mathematics.
The presence of such anxiety seems to affect mathematical performance, as research indicates
that higher levels of MA correlate with worse mathematical performance. Even the
International Student Assessment Program (PISA) has dedicated questions to assess MA,
aiming to understand its relationship with participants' results. Studies also point to a close
relationship between this anxiety and students' career choices, indicating that individuals with
high levels of MA tend to avoid careers that require extensive mathematics. Other research has
explored the gender relationship with MA, identifying that women are more commonly affected
by this anxiety, sometimes exhibiting higher levels of mathematical anxiety or having their
performance in mathematics more negatively impacted than their male peers. The sum of these
factors could be one explanation for the scarcity of women in mathematics, with existing studies
supporting this view. Thus, this research aims to determine whether an intervention based on
creativity and critical thinking in mathematics can influence MA levels, mathematical
performance, and gender disparity among high school vocational and technical students. This
research will be developed from an empirical-analytical perspective, using a mixed-methods
field research (action research) approach. The first phase will aim to establish correlations
between mathematical anxiety, mathematical performance, creativity in mathematics, and
gender through validated quantitative tests. Following this, twelve extracurricular activities will
be developed involving Gontijo's Critical and Creative Thinking Workshops in Mathematics
(2023). This approach was chosen for the intervention as it is understood that mathematics
classes that promote creativity engage students with activities that do not have a single correct
answer and seek to foster originality and innovation. Furthermore, such activities encourage
questioning common assumptions and breaking stereotypes, allowing a reevaluation of
women's roles in society. Subsequently, the tests from the first phase will be reapplied to assess
the effects of the intervention. Finally, the qualitative phase will involve analyzing reports
produced by students throughout the workshops and conducting interviews with mixed focus
groups (men and women) to explore the impacts of the intervention on gender disparity among
high school vocational and technical students. This work supports the thesis that such an
intervention can positively influence the reduction of mathematical anxiety levels and the
mitigation of gender disparities in mathematics, as well as improve students' mathematical
performance.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Externo à Instituição - JOÃO DOS SANTOS CARMO - UFSCAR
Presidente - 1714408 - CLEYTON HERCULES GONTIJO
Externo à Instituição - MATEUS GIANNI FONSECA - IFB
Externa ao Programa - 1782267 - REGINA DA SILVA PINA NEVES - null