TEACHING CHALLENGES AND STRATEGIES: BETWEEN TRADITION AND INNOVATION IN MATHEMATICS EDUCATION IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF CEARÁ

Abstract

This study presents the results of a research project conducted within the Supervised Internship of the Mathematics Teaching Degree at IFCE, Sobral campus, involving four high school mathematics teachers from public schools in the northern region of Ceará, Brazil. The qualitative field research aimed to understand the main challenges of teaching practice and the strategies developed to address them. Data collection was carried out through classroom observations, field diaries, and interviews, and the material was analyzed using Discursive Textual Analysis (DTA). The results highlight difficulties related to student engagement, including low participation, inattention, and challenges in maintaining concentration. From the analysis, four central categories emerged as strategies to address these issues: valuing interaction, adopting active methodologies, fostering collaborative learning, and ensuring content centrality. The study concludes that teaching practice is built on a balance between tradition and innovation, articulating student engagement with content systematization.