Caminhos e Escolhas: trilhas profissionais e acadêmicas de egressos do Curso de Licenciatura em Matemática da Unimontes (2020-2023)

Abstract

Making choices is an inevitable constant in our lives, accompanying us throughout our entire existence. In the academic field and in professional spheres, this reality is no different. Graduates of teacher education programs, upon completing their initial training, do not always choose to pursue a teaching career, whether for personal, social, or economic reasons. In view of the above, the study aimed to discuss the perceptions of a group of graduates of the Licentiate in Mathematics at Unimontes on teacher training within the scope of this course, in dialogue with their academic and professional choices and paths. We started with questions that guided the research, namely: What were the professional and academic choices of graduates of the Licentiate Degree in Mathematics at Unimontes who obtained their degrees between 2020 and 2023? Which paths did they follow after graduation? The core theoretical principles that underpinned the discussions in this work are based on studies on Teacher Training, Teacher Identity, and Teacher Knowledges. As this is a dissertation presented in a multipaper format, the study is reported through five articles. The first article consists of a Systematic Literature Review of studies that address the academic and professional choices of graduates with Degrees in Mathematics. The remaining articles, methodologically grounded in Oral History, are based on semi-structured interviews conducted with 17 graduates, valuing their voices, experiences, trajectories, and memories. The results indicate that the decision to pursue a teaching degree and to become a teacher stemmed from intrinsic factors, such as enjoyment of and affinity with Mathematics, as well as extrinsic factors, including the influence of Basic Education teachers, family members, local opportunities, and economic and regional conditions. With regard to professional and academic choices, the results show that working in basic education is not envisaged or desired by graduates, due to the devaluation, precarization, and intensification of teachers’ work. There is a scenario of abandonment and non-choice of teaching, motivated by frustrations and disappointments with the career. Postgraduate education emerges as a desired and pursued option, whether as a personal or professional project, with the expectation of working as Higher Education teachers. Regarding their perceptions of the course they graduated from, the graduates pointed out that they had acquired pedagogical knowledge during their initial training, but that the specific mathematical knowledge required for teaching in Basic Education proved insufficient for working at this level. They also pointed out a gap between their academic training and the reality of basic education, indicating a disconnect between theory and practice, highlighting the need for subjects in the course curriculum that cover Psychology, Inclusive Education, Youth and Adult Education, as well as a more in-depth study of the National Common Curricular Base