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Distance Training of Mathematics Teachers: The EarlyStatistics Experience

Formación a distancia para profesores de matemáticas: la experiencia de EarlyStatistics

RUSC, Universities and Knowledge Society Journal volume 9, pages 340–353 (2012)Cite this article

Abstract

The affordances offered by modern Internet technologies provide new opportunities for the pre-service and in-service training of mathematics teachers, making it possible to overcome the restrictions of shrinking resources and geographical locations, and to offer, in a cost-effective and non-disruptive way, high-quality learning experiences to geographically dispersed teachers. This article focuses on how information and communication tools made available online could be exploited effectively to help improve the quality and efficiency of teacher training in statistics education. First, it describes the main pedagogical issues and challenges underlying distance education in general, and online teacher training in particular. Then, it provides an overview of EarlyStatistics, an online professional development course in statistics education targeting European elementary and middle school teachers, and the main lessons learned from the pilot delivery of it. The article concludes with some instructional implications.

Resumen

Las potencialidades que ofrecen las modernas tecnologías de internet brindan nuevas oportunidades a la formación inicial y permanente del profesorado de matemáticas, que permiten superar las limitaciones impuestas por recursos cada vez más escasos y por la ubicación geográfica, y que para este colectivo geográficamente disperso significan el acceso a un aprendizaje de calidad, económico y compatible con el resto de actividades. Este artículo se centra en cómo aprovechar eficazmente las herramientas de comunicación e información disponibles en línea para mejorar la calidad y la eficiencia de la formación del profesorado en la educación de estadística. En primer lugar, describimos los principales problemas y retos pedagógicos de la educación a distancia en general, y de la formación de profesorado en línea en particular. A continuación, ofrecemos una visión general de EarlyStatistics, un curso virtual de desarrollo profesional para la educación estadística dirigido al profesorado de educación primaria y primeros cursos de secundaria (de 6 a 14 años), y las principales conclusiones derivadas de la edición piloto del curso. Concluyen el artículo algunas sugerencias educativas.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Education Sciences, European University Cyprus, 6 Diogenous St., 1516, Nicosia, Cyprus

    Maria Meletiou-Mavrotheris (Associate Professor)

  2. La Salle-Buen Consejo, Teresa de Calcuta, 70, 11510, Puerto Real, Cadiz, Spain

    Ana Serradó Bayés (Secondary School Teacher, In-Service Teacher Trainer)

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  1. Maria Meletiou-Mavrotheris
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  2. Ana Serradó Bayés
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Correspondence to Maria Meletiou-Mavrotheris.

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Meletiou-Mavrotheris, M., Serradó Bayés, A. Distance Training of Mathematics Teachers: The EarlyStatistics Experience. Revista de Universidad y Sociedad del Conocimiento 9, 340–353 (2012). https://doi.org/10.7238/rusc.v9i1.1275

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