Política Nacional de Alfabetização e a educação matemática no contexto de escolas municipais

Abstract

This dissertation aims to analyze the influence of mathematics education framework presented by the National Literacy Policy (PNA) on the professional practices of first- and second-grade teachers in municipal elementary schools in Pelotas, Brazil. The study originates from a teacher’s narrative highlighting the challenges of adapting to rapid shifts in educational policies. From this narrative, the central theme of the study focuses on the analysis of educational policies. The investigation draws on Ball’s (1994) policy cycle framework to analyze the PNA and employs document analysis and semi-structured interviews as data collection methods, complemented by content analysis (Bardin, 1977) for the organization and interpretation of findings. This is a qualitative study. The results reveal a discrepancy between the realities and challenges faced by schools and the initiatives proposed for implementing the PNA. Ultimately, it was observed that the PNA is a policy aligned with neoliberal principles, developed by the neoconservative movement. By introducing numeracy as the foundation for mathematics instruction—under the rhetoric of scientific evidence—it disregards and marginalizes Brazilian research in the field of Mathematics Education on the topic. The results showed that, although the PNA discourse employs the rhetoric of improving educational quality, its actions have not been substantive enough to bring about theoretical or practical changes in the pedagogical practices of teachers who teach mathematics.