Connections and Contexts in Mathematics
Code: 102060Credits: 6
| Degree programme | Type | Course |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Education | OP | 4 |
Contact lecturer
- Name :
- Genaro De Gamboa Rojas
- Email :
- genaro.degamboa@uab.cat
Teaching staff
- Edgar Ribot Llobet
Group languages
You can consult this information at the end of the document.
Prerequisites
It is suggested that students who enroll in this course have taken and passed the subjects of the degree of Primary Education Teachers following: " Matemàtiques per mestres ", first year , " Aprenentatge de les matemàtiques i curriculum ", second year, and " Gestió i innovació a l'aula de matemàtiques ", third year .
Objectives
Faced with white light, Isaac Newton devised a plan to pass it through a glass prism, revealing a beautiful rainbow that astonished the experts of the Royal Society. This raised a straightforward question: is white light composed of all colors, or was the prism itself coloring the light? By simply passing the multicolored light through another identical prism, he reversed the effect, restoring the appearance of white light. This process was somewhat more complex, but it resolved the question. In the same way as Sir Isaac, we pass many mathematical concepts through the prism of the educational system, breaking them down into different subjects. However, our students are not as demanding as the Royal Society, and that first experiment is often enough for them. As teachers, we hope that students will be able to reach the conclusion represented by the second prism and that, despite the many nuances of the concept, the white light will shine again at the end of the journey. Reality shows us that this is not an easy task and that it is necessary to create learning opportunities to make it possible. In this course, we learn to identify learning opportunities in different contexts that will lead us to practice using the second prism, connecting different subjects in order to work with mathematical concepts in a broader way. To achieve this, we will focus on practical models used in innovative schools: project-based learning and learning through learning stations, while developing the necessary assessment tools. Therefore, we will learn to use tools that help bring this rainbow of subjects back together through a second prism: that of interdisciplinary work.
OBJECTIVES:
- Identify, take advantage of, and create opportunities for mathematical learning within everyday situations or in connection with other subjects.
- Search for, identify, and connect activities, giving them a competency-based and interdisciplinary character.
- Analyze, design, and create learning activities in a cooperative and interdisciplinary manner.
- Understand, contextualize, and practice connecting approaches such as learning stations and project-based learning.
- Analyze, design, and develop assessment instruments for formative and competency-based activities.
- Ensure a gender-inclusive and inclusive perspective in all educational materials and teaching resources.
Learning outcomes
- Adapt teaching and learning programs and activities to pupil diversity.
- Understand recreational didactic situations involving mathematics, both inside and outside the classroom, to promote independent learning and cooperative work.
- Design innovative teaching sequences from contexts that provide recreational mathematics.
- Identifying, designing and communicating concepts, facts and phenomena of different sciences capable of being modelled using mathematical concepts.
- Analyse the goals of mathematics education at different stages of primary education.
- Design teaching and learning sequences that connect different mathematical topics.
- Identify the social, economic and environmental implications of academic and professional activities within one?s own area of knowledge.
- Analyse the indicators of sustainability of academic and professional activities in the areas of knowledge, integrating social, economic and environmental dimensions.
- Propose viable projects and actions to boost social, economic and environmental benefits.
- Propose ways to evaluate projects and actions for improving sustainability.
Contents
- Detecting learning opportunities.
- Separate and unify knowledge.
- To link different mathematical concepts.
- To link meanings of the same mathematical concept.
- To link with other areas of knowledge.
- Connect: Network.
- From Reproduction to production.
Learning activities and methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project (BG) | 20 | 0.8 | |
| Workshop analysis of didactic proposals (SG) | 30 | 1.2 | |
| Workshop creation of didactic proposals (SG ) | 30 | 1.2 | |
| Exhibitions by the teacher (BG) | 20 | 0.8 |
The protagonist in the educational process is the student and it is on this premise that has been planned methodology of the subject.As this is an optional subject , all the sessions will be done with the whole group class .
Still, as indicated in the methodology, there will be sessions where a small job in the classroom under the supervision of the teacher will be performed.
Assessment
Continuous assessment activities
| Title | Weight | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Video proyect - group | 20% | 10 | 0.4 | 2, 5, 8, 9, 10 |
| Microproyects I - individual | 25% | 17.5 | 0.7 | 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
| Microproyects II - group | 25% | 17.5 | 0.7 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 |
| Test - individual | 30% | 5 | 0.2 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
Continuous Assessment
The continuous assessment for this course will be carried out throughout the academic year through the following activities:
- Microprojects I (individual) and II (group): These will be developed during class sessions. Time will be allocated for sharing and discussion of the results. One individual project and one group project will be completed. Students must obtain a minimum grade of 5 out of 10 on each microproject. If the grade is below 5, students will have 7 days to revise and resubmit the project for reassessment.
- Video Project (group): Students will answer a researchable question in a 3-minute video. A minimum grade of 5 is required. If the grade is below 5, students will have 7 days to revise and resubmit the project for reassessment. The video project presentations will take place during the second week of December 2026.
- Written Test (individual): At the end of the semester, students will complete a compulsory individual written test. A grade of 5 or higher is required to pass the course. If the grade is below 5, students must take the resit examination. The exam will take place on December 21st, 2026.
Single Assessment
The single assessment for the course will consist of the following components, all of which must be submitted and presented on December 21st 2026:
- Microprojects I and II (50%): Students will complete two microprojects. Instructions will be available on the virtual campus. A minimum grade of 5 is required for each microproject. If the grade is below 5, the projects must be resubmitted during the resit period. In addition, students must complete an oral examination to defend the content of the submitted work.
- Video Project (20%): Students will answer a researchable question in a 3-minute video. Instructions will be available on the virtual campus. A minimum grade of 5 is required. If the grade is below 5, the project must be resubmitted during the resit period.
- Written Test (30%): The exam will take place on December 21, 2026.
Comprehensive Examination
This course does not provide the option of taking a comprehensive examination for students who are enrolled for the second time.
Resit Assessment
To be eligible for the course resit examination, students must have submitted and passed the two microprojects and the video project. Students who do not meet these requirements will not be eligible for the resit process.
The resit assessment will consist of a written examination covering all course content. The resit examination will take place on 18th January 2027.
As well as:
- In all activities the communicative competence will be taken into account, to the point that any activity can be returned if there are lack of expression or spelling. To pass this course, students must demonstrate strong overall communication skills, both oral and written, as well as a good command of the language or languages of instruction specified in the course syllabus.
- Attendance at the contact sessions of this course is mandatory.
- The note of group work is not necessarily the individual score of students in the group.
- The total or partial plagiarism of one of the activities and / or copy anassessmenttest is a direct reason for suspense of the subject.
- The marks obtained in each of the evaluation activities will be delivered tostudents within 15 working days of its completion. Once delivered to the student may review and consultation on the schedule set by the teacher.
- If a student does not submit the assessment activities, their grade will be Not Assessable.
Bibliography
Alsina, C. (1998). Mathematics and Cross-Curricular Activities. Bridges Exist for Crossing them, ZDM, 30(2), 34-36
Caviedes. S., De Gamboa. G., & Badillo, E. (2026). Conocimiento sobre el área de figuras 2D Aportes para la formación de maestros. Uno. Revista de Didáctica de las Matemáticas, (112), 57-64.
Christiansen, I. M. (1998). Cross-Curricular Activities Within One Subject? Modeling Ozone Depletion in 12th Grade, ZDM 30(2), 22-27
Corbalán, F. (2007). Matemáticas de la vida misma. Barcelona, Graó.
Couso, D., Mora, Ll., & Simarro, C. (2021). De las mates como instrumento a las mates como práctica: su papel en los proyectos STEM. Uno: Revista de didáctica de las matemáticas, (93), 8-14.
De Gamboa, G., Badillo, E., & Font, V. (2023). Meaning and structure of mathematical connections in the classroom. Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education, 23(2), 241-261.
Gallego Lázaro, C. (2005). Repensar el aprendizaje de las matemáticas :Matemáticas para convivir comprendiendo el mundo, Barcelona, Graó.
Hughes-Hallett, D. (1998). Interdisciplinary Activities in Mathematics and Science in the United States, ZDM 30(4), 116-118
Jorba, J.; Sanmartí, N. (1994). Enseñar, aprender y evaluar: un proceso de regulación continua, Madrid, Centro de Investigación y Documentación Educativa.
Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning, and Identity, Cambridge University Press.
Michelsen,C., Glargaard, N. I Dejgaard, J. (2005), Interdisciplinary Competences-Integrating mathematics and subjects of natural sciences, Anaya, Canada.
Ribot-Llobet, E., Badillo, E., Caviedes, S., & De Gamboa, G. (2026). El context d’una notícia per promoure la modelització i les connexions matemàtiques. GRAÓ 6-12: El teu espai de referència en Educació Primària.
Robichaud, X., Fellus, O., Martinovic. D., & Freiman, V. (2022). Creating Space For Mathematics to Emerge Between, Within and Across Contexts and Ddisciplines. Proceedings of the 2022 MACAS Symposium. https://www.umoncton.ca/umcs-macas2022/sites/umcs-macas2022.prod.umoncton.ca/files/wf/macas_2022_proceedings.pdf
Sanmartí, N. (2007), 10 ideas clave. Evaluar para aprender. Barcelona, Graó
Software
Geogebra
Scrath
Course groups and languages
The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE
| Type of teaching | Group | Language | Semester | Shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (TE) Theory | 70 | Catalan | first semester | afternoon |