Knowledge of Curriculum Embedded Mathematics in the Selection of Mathematics Textbooks

Abstract

This article contributes to the debate on the knowledge mobilized in the relationship between teachers and curricular materials. It is based on the notion of Knowledge of Mathematics Incorporated into the Curriculum (KCEM), according to which textbooks incorporate mathematical ideas, representations, teaching strategies, and perspectives on how students construct concepts. The research is guided by the following research question: what evidence of KCEM emerges from teachers’ discussions during the process of selecting mathematics textbooks? A qualitative approach was adopted, using as corpus written and oral narratives produced by 12 teachers participating in an extension course, in which textbook collections approved in the PNLD were analyzed. The analysis shifted the focus from the material itself to the way teachers read it, understanding textbook selection as a moment of explicit expression of professional knowledge. The results indicate that KCEM is not formally named by teachers, but emerges when they question the conceptual organization of contents, problematize representations, examine task complexity, anticipate students’ difficulties, and analyze the proposed curricular progression. However, it was also evidenced that this mobilization occurs in a situated and uneven way. It is concluded that textbook selection can be configured as a formative practice, provided that it is accompanied by collective study and theoretical grounding, contributing to strengthening critical reading of the mathematics incorporated into curricular materials.