Given the importance of mathematics’ teaching and learning process as well as the difficulties that often characterize in that subject the student’s cognitive path, the course wants to train the future teacher to have a good knowledge of “mathematics’ difficulties”. It will allow the future teacher to get the initial provisional tools in order to identify child’s difficulties and plan possible teaching interventions.

General course: Some teaching and epistemological concepts will deal with concerning kindergarten and primary school subject content, especially “numbers”, “space” and “how to solve mathematical problems”.

Mathematics difficulties will be presented through some specific examples, in order to understand the conducts that led to the child’s error. In this context, we will analyze some of the issues that characterize the mathematics education with particular reference to: misconceptions and primitive models; didactic contract; metacognition; beliefs on mathematics and on himself; emotions and mathematics; the attitude towards mathematics; resolution activities of mathematical problems; problem solving as a teaching strategy for overcoming and preventing difficulties; resolution activities of mathematical problems in primary school; the standard school problem stereotypes; the concrete / abstract comparison; the "good" problems and the level of their formulation; recovery strategies.

Monographic course: the figure of Giuseppe Peano and his interventions in the field of mathematics teaching will be proposed.

None

The student knows the main contributions of research in Mathematics education associated with some of its basic issues (problem solving, difficulty in mathematics, mathematics and language, emotions and mathematics, ...) and several research contributions in the "neighboring" disciplines (psychology, sociology, cultural anthropology, neuroscience, ...) which directly investigated teaching and learning mathematics’ problems.

The student knows how to make use of the knowledge gained to propose educational intervention or to process, in the light of the results of research, working hypotheses and / or investigation / research in classroom situations. 

The student can make use of the instruments for observation of teaching activities, proposing possible interpretations of any difficulties and formulating compensatory action plans aimed at overcoming critical areas in teaching and learning mathematics.

The student proposes relevant reflections in the activities observed / carried out by placing them in relation to him training, making use of a specific professional language proper to mathematics education and "neighboring" disciplines.

The student is able to manage bibliographic, technical and computer tools critically.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Educational material will be shared on the Blended page of the course

Teaching

Lectures, group works, practice exercises, seminars

Innovative teaching methods

Learning by doing

Attendance

Attendance is not compulsory but recommended

Course books

Giuseppe Peano. Alcuni testi su questioni di didattica della matematica (a cura di E.Rocchi, S.Peluso, D.Sisti), Gruppo Editoriale Bonanno.

Rocchi E., Peluso S., Introduzione alla logica proposizionale e primi elementi di logica predicativa, Ed. Goliardiche, Trieste.

Assessment

Presentation of a paper on a topic agreed with the teacher; oral interview

The evaluation criteria are as follows:

- relevance and effectiveness of the topics presented in relation to the contents of the program;
- the level of articulation of the thesis;
- adequacy of the disciplinary language used.

Each of the criteria is assessed on the basis of a four-level scale of values / judgments with equal weight assigned to each criterion. 

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Teaching

None

Attendance

None

Course books

Giuseppe Peano. Alcuni testi su questioni di didattica della matematica (a cura di E.Rocchi, S.Peluso, D.Sisti), Gruppo Editoriale Bonanno.

Rocchi E., Peluso S., Introduzione alla logica proposizionale e primi elementi di logica predicativa, Ed. Goliardiche, Trieste.

Assessment

As for those attending

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.