The perceptions of undergraduate students and teachers who teach Mathematics about Dyscalculia

Abstract

Dyscalculia is a Mathematics Learning Disorder little known by education professionals and debated in the literature. In this sense, this research aimed to investigate the perceptions about Dyscalculia of graduate students of the Mathematics Degree course and trained teachers from a university in the interior of Bahia. Adopting a qualitative approach, we conducted semi-structured and individual interviews with four participants, two undergraduate students and two basic education teachers. After producing and transcribing the data, we proceeded with analysis and discussions, based on the literature review, aiming to understand their perceptions. In this process, three categories were constructed. In the category Knowledge and identification of Dyscalculia, undergraduates stated that they knew Dyscalculia, without an in-depth explanation, while teachers were able to express some knowledge about Dyscalculia. In general, all interviewees had difficulties in identifying students with Dyscalculia. In the Use of resources and methodologies category, the interviewees indicated different strategies, but we noticed that they resolved momentary learning difficulties. And, finally, in the Importance of Training category, the interviewees pointed out that they had limited contact with this topic, representing a gap in their training. From these results, we conclude that the interviewees have limited knowledge about Dyscalculia, particularly in relation to its difficulties, as well as identifying the urgency of these discussions in the context of teacher training.