Maria Solange da Silva is a teacher of Mathematics Education and researcher in Brazil and Europe. She has over 25 years of experience teaching mathematics at various levels. Her research focuses on teacher professional development, curriculum design, and how students learn mathematics. Currently, she is researching how professional development programs influence teachers' instructional skills. She has published papers and books on mathematics education and designed tasks for national exams in Brazil.

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PORTIFOLIO OF PROFESSIONALACTIVITY/TEACHING AND
RESEARCH
Maria Solange da Silva
August/2016

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SUMARY
BASIC INFORMATIONS..........................................................................3
TEACHING AND TUTORING………………………………………………..3
RESEARCHING AND SCIENTIFIC ACTIONS……………………………...3
1. Previous research……………………………………………………….4
2. Actual research…………………………………………………………4
OTHER WORKS………………………………………………………………6
1. Designing………………………………………………………………6
2. Projects………………………………………………………………...6
3. Public Interpretation…………………………………………………...6
4. Articles and books……………………………………………………..6
5. Voluntary work…………………………………………………….…..8
6. Scientific Societies Membership………………………………………8

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BASIC INFORMATIONS
I am a teacher of Mathematics Education at Universities in Brazil and researcher in Europe.
As a teacher and researcher I always have been very concerned with subjects that involve
student’s development skills and with subjects related to teacher professional development,
as, “what to teach”, “how to teach”, “how the students learn” and “students and teachers’
believes”. My main research interests concern fundamental questions about Professional
development of Mathematics’ teachers, Curriculum Design, Methodologies related with
teaching and learning environments and how correlate formal education with society and the
world of work. I am experienced in teaching at primary school, secondary school, tertiary
levels (including teacher education and undergraduate) and I am available for in-service
works, lecturing seminars and consulting regionally and nationally to governments in Brazil
with Teacher Training Services. In August of 2016 I have concluded the course “Gifted
Education” offered by Summer School program of Radboud University. With this course is
possible to extend my research to Gifted Children.
TEACHING AND TUTORING
I worked for seven years (1984/1991) as a teacher of Physics to Secondary Schools, for 25
years as a teacher of Mathematics to Secondary Education and since 1996 as a teacher of
Mathematics and Methodology of Mathematics at Brazilian’s Universities. I also have worked
with research at the fields of Mathematics Education and Curriculum design at “Projeto
Fundão”, at Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) for over 8 years (1988/1996). I am
well known regionally for my research and conferences presentations and I have published
papers and books ranging across the fields of Mathematics Education. In secondary education
I have been working with Mathematics/Physics with students aged 12-18 at different ability
levels. In higher education (University) I had worked with: Mathematics Education/ Didactic
of Mathematics/ Algebra/ Algebra Linear/ Logic/ Arithmetic/ Methodology of Mathematics/
Supervisor of graduate teachers’ students. I also tutored graduated students with their final
academic report.

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When working with didactic lessons of mathematics for prospective teachers I also try, when
it is possible, to work with secondary school students. This enables me to try new
methodologies and to experience learning situations that can contribute to the discussion in
classroom with the new teachers.
RESEARCHING AND SCIENTIFIC ACTIONS
My research finds a place within three themes: 1. Teacher training on context-concept
approach, which link a meaningful context within a series of lessons in order to learn
professional concepts. 2. The learning experienced of mathematics teachers that shape new
contexts and new subject matter. 3. Curricular modeling connections that form the core
thinking of Mathematics with learning of students. It means concrete phenomena to models of
applicability at world of work.
Previous research
To the Master degree research, I did a study of Formal Logic, Argumentative Logic and the
Developmental Theory of Knowledge of Pierre van Hiele. The research was directed towards
a group of elementary school students where the dialogue was the main object of study in
order to analyze the logic of the students’ speech. While in confrontation of their knowledge
and convictions the students were invited to defend their ideas. The study aimed at to
investigate how dialogical arguments could facilitate and encourage student’s orality, with the
purpose of developing mathematical knowledge. The hypothesis was that stimulating
students’ orality is a way to improve their reasoning and skills to develop demonstrations.
With this study it was possible to conclude that:
 The interest in demonstration, in developing deductive reasoning in Mathematics can
be encouraged from pre-established agreements between teachers and students and
from the speech of the students.
 Sometimes students change their views, depending on the arguments used by
colleagues. These arguments are those with more strength of conviction and
persuasion among them.
 The deductive reasoning, which start from assumptions supposedly true and whose
goals are also to guide to true and incontestable conclusions construct an irrefutable
conclusion but for the majority of students it’s not so easy to be understood. They
often reproduce the demonstration that had done by the teacher. It’s difficult to infer
about the importance of demonstrations. Sometimes a simple example convinces them
more than a formal demonstration.
 In the construction of a mathematical knowledge students often do not feel the
necessity for formal demonstrations, preferring others types of explanation that are
possible to make sense for them.
Actual research

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My actual research subject is related with professional development of mathematics teachers.
To this issue I have been researching on my PhD thesis at Lisbon University and at Utrecht
University to the Freudenthal Institute following teacher training programs and writing report
and article.
I worked at the Institute with a scholarship of Erasmus Mundus Program ‘till 30th of April -
2015 under the supervision of Michiel Doorman and Paul Drijvers. I investigated the
influences of a professional development program for mathematics teachers on their teaching
and instructional design skills. The topic of the program is promoting on students more active
thinking with mathematics’ lessons. This topic is connected to a reform in the Dutch
mathematics curriculum in upper secondary education (“Wiskundige Denkactiviteiten”).
Activities during the course for the teachers are partly taken from the European project Mascil
(www.mascil-project.eu) that fosters inquiry-based learning (IBL). The interpretation of IBL
in the Mascil project is closely connected to the goal of this Dutch reform. From September to
May of 2013/2014 I also was involved in a nationwide teacher training program to
Mathematics secondary education teachers, the “Leergang Vernieuwing Wiskundeonderwijs”.
The main purpose to the teacher-training program was to draw in HAVO and VWO
secondary education teachers into the process of curriculum changes that were taking place in
the country. This Dutch innovative way to attract teachers to changes allows teachers to
contribute with their own experiences to the process. These past few months I observed
sessions of the two PD courses. Furthermore, I selected teachers and contacted them to ask for
permission for observing their lessons. I recorded the lessons and currently I am involved in
transcribing the video record lessons and the video record of PD sessions and in analyzing the
transcripts. The Mascil project provides to the observation instruments and guidelines for
documenting teacher change as a result of the professional development program.
Furthermore, I performed a literature review on IBL and the use of ICT in this mathematics
inquiry. This research has as final product, a report that was delivered to the Institute.
Final evaluation of my supervisor Dr. Michiel Doorman
Final Report to the Institute Freudenthal: Is possible to read it at Linked in.

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ANOTHER WORKS
Designing
Since 2013 I write tasks to Brazilian National Exams and I'm contributing author to didactic
books to National publishers.
You can find a list of my contributions on my CV at Linked in.
https://nl.linkedin.com/pub/maria-solange-da-silva/2a/401/42a
Projects
Since 2013 I am involved with the organization and implementation of a project to Brazilians
adult citizenships that had not conclude their secondary education in Brazil on the regular
time. This project is in accordance with a policy of education of Brazilian Government and
with the Project ENCCEJA, developed by INEP. Since 2002 INEP Institute is investing
Brazilians education that live aboard.
The Project “Preparatory Course Encceja in Netherlands” has the support of Brazilian
Consulate in Rotterdan and the Itamaraty. This project was award with 4000 euros on 2013
and 4000 euros on 2014.
Public Interpretation
http://www.municipiosdoceara.com.br/internacional/professora-quer-levar-matematica-
holandesa-para-o-brasil
http://archief.wereldomroep.nl/portugues/category/tags-portugees/matematica-realistica

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Articles and books
 Conducting Mathematical Thinking Activities with Secondary Teachers –
December/2015.
 Autor: Maria Solange da Silva
Publicação: LAP LAMBERT Academic Publishing
ISBN: 978-3-659-81276-7
 Project Araribá Plus – Vol 6; Vol 7; Vol 8 and Vol 9 - 6⁰ to 9⁰ years
 Coordinator: Mara Regina Garcia Gay
Authors: Mara Regina Garcia Gay & Maria Solange da Silva
Publisher: Editora Moderna – São Paulo – Brazil – 2014
 Project Buriti – Vol 1; Vol 2; Vol 3; Vol 4 and Vol 5 - 1⁰ to 5⁰ years
 Coordinator: Mara Regina Garcia Gay
Authors: Mara Regina Garcia Gay & Maria Solange da Silva
Publisher: Editora Moderna – São Paulo – Brazil – 2013
 Estratégia para o desenvolvimento do cálculo mental.
 Autor: Maria Solange da Silva- 2009

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 Tabuada Interativa de Multiplicação: Entendendo e aplicando conceitos
 Autor: Maria Solange da Silva – 2009
 Aprendendo Coordenadas e Vetores
 Autor: Maria Solange da Silva – 2009
 Pensando e Usando Matemática –
 Editorial Commission: Nilma Santos Fontanive and Ruben Klein – Cesgranrio
Founding – Ford Founding – Project Tri – 1998.
 Geometria segundo a Teoria de Van Hiele –
 Coordinator: Lilian Nasser and Neide Sant’Anna – Institute of
Mathematics/UFRJ- Project Fundão – SPEC-PADCT-CAPES – 1997.
 Geometria na era da imagem e do movimento –
 Coordinator: Maria Laura M.L.Lopes and Lilian Nasser – Institute of
Mathematics/ UFRJ – Fundão Project – SPEC-PADCT-CAPES – 1996.
Articles
Da Silva, M. (2014). Estratégias e perspectivas para o cálculo mental em contexto de sala de
aula – Educatrix – Editora Moderna – (38-41).
http://www.moderna.com.br/educatrix/ed7/educatrix7.html?pag=20
Da Silva, M.(2013). Problemas de Contexto na concepção da Matemática Realística – Anais
do XI Encontro Nacional de Educação Matemática (ENEM) – Paraná - Brasil
http://sbem.esquiro.kinghost.net/anais/XIENEM/pdf/1796_1677_ID.pdf

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Da Silva, M.(2002). How does a teaching practice project influence the teacher student’s
actions – Proceedings of 26 Conference of International group for the Psychology of
Mathematics Education (PME); Vol 1 (337) – University of East Anglia - UK
Da Silva, M.(2001). Argumentation Reasoning and Mathematics proof – Proceedings of 25
International group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (PME); Vol I (368) –
Utrecht University – NL.
Da Silva, M. (1998). O papel da argumentação no ensino de geometria: Um estudo de caso –
Boletim GEPEM; n. 34 (65-71).
Da Silva, M. (1997). O papel da argumentação no ensino de geometria: Um estudo de caso –
Anais do I Encontro Brasileiro de Estudantes de Pós-Graduação em Educação Matemática
(70-78); Rio Claro; SP.
Da Silva, M. (1996). Argumentative reasoning and Geometry teaching – Anais do ICME 8 (p.
502); Sevilla – Spain.
Da Silva, M. (1993). A importância da argumentação na construção do conceito de altura de
triângulo – Boletim GEPEM; n. 31 (41-48).
Voluntary work
Since April of 2014 I work as Education Coordinator of Council of Brazilian Citizens in the
Netherlands.
Scientific Societies Membership
1- SBEM – Brazilian Society of Mathematics Education
2- GEPEM – Group of Study and Research in Mathematics Education
3- SBM – Brazilian Society of Mathematics
Language Speech
1- English – Read (good) – Write (good) – Speak (good) – Understand (good)
2- Portuguese - Native speaker
3- Spanish – Read (good) – Understand (good) – Speak (insufficient) – Write
(insufficient)
4- Netherlands – Read (regular) – Write (insufficient) – Speak (insufficient) –
Understand (regular)
Ability with ICT – Good
Maria Solange da Silva.