PERCEPTIONS OF BASIC EDUCATION TEACHERS ON MATHEMATICAL MODELING AND ITS CONTRIBUTIONS TO PEDAGOGICAL PRACTICE

Abstract

This article aims to investigate the perceptions of teachers who teach Mathematics in Basic Education regarding Mathematical Modeling and its contributions to pedagogical practice and to students’ learning processes. It is a qualitative research study conducted with 39 teachers participating in a continuing education program within the context of a course offered by the Graduate Program in Science and Mathematics Education (PPGECM/UNEMAT). The data were generated from participants’ responses to an online questionnaire composed of open-ended questions. Data analysis was carried out through Content Analysis, following the perspectives of Bardin (1977), Rodrigues (2019) and Rodrigues e Brito (2025) which enabled the construction of two Analytical Categories: (i) Characteristics and aspects of Mathematical Modeling for teachers’ pedagogical practice; and (ii) Contributions of Mathematical Modeling to students’ learning processes. The results indicate that teachers perceive Mathematical Modeling as a relevant pedagogical approach capable of fostering content contextualization, promoting interdisciplinary teaching practices, and contributing to contextualized mathematical learning grounded in students’ realities, thereby broadening discussions about Mathematics teaching in Basic Education. In this sense, the study directly engages with the Mathematical Processes established in the BNCC, by analyzing Mathematical Modeling as a pedagogical practice aligned with the curricular guidelines for Mathematics teaching in Basic Education.