"A matemática está em tudo": expressões da ofensiva neoliberal no ensino de matemática

Abstract

This dissertation aims to present and analyze the main elements involved in the valorization of Mathematics within the context of propositions made by international organizations and the community of Mathematics Education researchers. Recognizing that these formulations present distinct motivations for the importance of Mathematics as a fundamental "skill/competence" in the training of workers, we sought, based on the theoretical-methodological framework of historical-dialectical materialism, to investigate the possible alignments and ruptures between the ideas of Mathematics Education and those of the organic intellectuals of capital. The research is bibliographical in nature, focusing on the analysis of the central ideas of two major trends within the research field—Ethnomathematics and Critical Mathematics Education—as well as materials published by the OECD, UNESCO, and the World Bank. To achieve the proposed objectives, we present a general overview of Mathematics Education, its process of consolidation as a research field, and delineate the main elements of Ethnomathematics and Critical Mathematics Education. We also examine the views of international organizations on Mathematics teaching and its significance, emphasizing their conception of Mathematics as a skill/competence for individual development. This analysis revealed the presence of postmodern references in the theoretical foundations of Mathematics Education research, reinforcing the urgency of reintroducing Marxist categories such as scientific ideology, philosophy, and common sense. The literature review thus included the foundations of postmodern thought and its close ties to neoliberal ideology, the postmodern educational agenda, and its roots in the progressive education movement. In conclusion, we demonstrate the links between the propositions of international organizations and capital's project for shaping the working class, guided by reconfigurations of human capital theory and related approaches. Similarly, considering the compatibility between the postmodern agenda and the neoliberal offensive, we conclude that Mathematics Education does not constitute a counter hegemonic alternative to the destructive educational project under capital’s dominance. We argue for the urgency of Historical-Critical Pedagogy as a horizon for overcoming reformist naivety and educational perspectives rooted in conformity.