Educação matemática em uma classe hospitalar: relações, enredamentos e continuidades

Abstract

The core element of the research emerged from the idea of having a look at the scenario which composes the context of education in hospital environments, to investigate if actions related to mathematical education in hospital classes may or not contribute to the well-being of the pupils, as well as favor the continuity of studies after or even during the medical treatment. The research has embodied cognition, from Luis Radford’s perspective, as the theoretical reference. The adopted methodology is the qualitative approach, and the data were collected during math education activities and interviews which took place at a Support House for people undergoing medical treatment in Belém/PA, with nine students whose age range from eleven to fifty-seven years old, and whose schooling ranges from Elementary Education to High School. The data were registered on notes in a field notebook, audio files and videos of the developed activities. There were also interviews with parents, students and teachers, with the aim to collect information about part of the trajectory of each observed student. The data discussion is structured in order to cover two aspects: the importance of the dialogic relationships shaped up in the class environment for the well-being and the involvement of the participants throughout the educational process, and the embodied formation of knowledge shown by the students in relation to the suggested themes. The presentation of the results is divided into two themes: compositions referring to basic geometry and significations as regards standard measurements for length and distance. The final considerations confirm the importance of the teacher’s attendance on students undergoing health treatment, in order to cooperate in the guarantee of the continuity of the educational process. We also understand that there is reliable evidence of the importance of activities that presume embodied aspects while mathematical knowledge is being constituted. We highlight the need to strengthen the partnership between university and hospital education environment, aiming to conduct researches that contribute to widen and strengthen the discussion about public policies for scholars in this situation. Lastly, we suggest the proposition and development of investigation about the educational processes at schooling units that receive pupils during or after health treatment, in order to embrace reflections on inclusive perspective of democratic and universal access to the educational system.