Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching Different Meanings of the Equal Sign: a study carried out with Elementary School Teachers

Our goal in this paper is to present the main results of a master's degree research on "Elementary school teachers and their knowledge for teaching the different meanings of the equal sign". This research aimed to understand what knowledge the teachers announce and demonstrate about the different meanings of the equal sign. The analysis were developed using data triangulation produced by questionnaires, by document analysis, and by a social collective interaction. Among results, we have observed that the teachers showed limitations in recognizing the different mathematical meanings of the equal sign; in realizing some implications from teaching the different meanings of the equal sign in/for the curriculum; in justifying potentialities of a collective work in mathematics classes. We highlighted, in the end, that such analytical study of the components involved in the professional knowledge of mathematics teachers could support uncovering necessities on mathematics teacher education.

Mathematics Teacher Education; Meanings of the Equal Sign; Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching; Elementary School