Teaching Activities Using GeoGebra in Mathematics Education: An Analysis Based on the Didactic Suitability Criteria
GeoGebra. Teaching Activities. Didactic Suitability Criteria. Mathematics Education.
One of the main competencies in the teaching practice of educators is the ability to reflect on their own pedagogical processes. This reflective stance led us to the Didactic Suitability Criteria (CAD – Critérios de Adequação Didática). These criteria offer possibilities for analyzing classroom-oriented activities that involve Mathematics and the use of GeoGebra—an educational software with highly relevant visual components that is essential for connecting abstract mathematical concepts to practical applications. As mathematics educators, we advocate for the use of GeoGebra, which motivated our choice to analyze activities that incorporate this tool. In this context, our research question is: How do Mathematics teaching activities using GeoGebra, developed within the context of a master’s or doctoral program in Mathematics Education at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), address, either implicitly or explicitly, the Didactic Suitability Criteria? To answer this question, our general objective is to analyze Mathematics teaching activities that use the GeoGebra software, developed by graduates of the Graduate Program in Teaching of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (PPGECNM) and the Graduate Program in Teaching of Science and Mathematics (PPGECM) at UFRN. Based on this, and within the scope of our professional master’s degree, we developed an Educational Product aligned with the research conducted. Among various possibilities, we chose to create an informational video aimed at teachers who teach Mathematics, presenting teaching activities that involve the use of GeoGebra. These activities, available in UFRN’s repository and analyzed in our study, will be disseminated with the aim of broadening access to these materials and contributing to teaching practice. The research adopts a qualitative approach and is based on a Systematic Review. As methodological strategies for data production, we used a discussion group composed of specialists, along with content analysis of theses and dissertations related to the selected teaching activities. These studies were analyzed through the lens of the Didactic Suitability Criteria (CAD), an important tool for planning, evaluating, and redesigning Mathematics teaching and learning processes. The results indicate that, although the analyzed activities demonstrate a good alignment with the CAD, they still require adjustments to become fully suitable for different educational contexts. The use of GeoGebra in Mathematics teaching shows great promise, but there is a need to improve and adapt the activities to ensure greater suitability and applicability.