Statistics education from the perspective of statistical literacy: Reflections taken from studies with teachers

The aim of this article is to discuss aspects of statistical literacy from research on statistics education conducted with teachers and developed by the Research Group on Mathematics and Statistics Education (GPEME) at the Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE). These investigations were influenced by international discussions on a perspective of statistical literacy that focuses not only on knowledge and technical procedures of curriculum content in statistics, but also on developing critical attitudes towards approaching data. The reflections are based on the analysis of research with teachers of different levels and teaching modalities, who engaged in problem-solving activities associated with various topics in statistics. The article problematizes the challenges of addressing statistical literacy in the initial and continuing education of teachers who learn and teach statistics. Discussions are included on research that has methodologically addressed teacher participation in groups that involve cooperative and collaborative processes and that associate teacher education with this broader perspective of statistical literacy. The research presented offers empirical evidence that an effective pedagogic strategy to improve teachers’ knowledge of statistics is to explore of dialogic situations in which they may be led to reflect on their own interpretations of statistical data related to contemporary contexts that involve different themes. Reflections on the research results also indicate some possible pedagogic implications and the need for future research that may better develop the topics studied

Mathematics Education in Field Education Contexts

This article approaches the relationship between mathematics education and field education, based on the academic production of the research group on mathematics education in field education contexts (Gpemce) created in 2008 at the Federal University of Pernambuco. After presenting the repercussions and lines of research of the group, we reflect on the roots and principles of field education and some approximations of this domain with mathematics education. Then, we present a documentary study, whose corpus consists of 20 articles published in journals by researchers from Gpemce from 2009 to 2020. These articles are organised around four thematic categories that are associated with the research lines of the group: teaching and learning mathematics in field education contexts; relationships between curriculum contents, mathematical practices and productive field activities; resources in the teaching of mathematics in field schools and qualification of mathematics teachers of schools in field areas. The study highlights the diversity of educational subjects, themes, and sociocultural contexts contemplated in the research, and points out ways to conduct new investigations that contribute to deepen our understanding of the teaching and learning of mathematics in field schools and initial and continuing teacher education in field education contexts

REFLEXÕES SOBRE IMPLEMENTAÇÃO E USO DE LABORATÓRIOS DE INFORMÁTICA NA ESCOLA PÚBLICA

Resumo: No Brasil existe uma política oficial para expandir o acesso a recursos computacionais para alunos de escolas públicas, no entanto, a qualidade dessa oferta é limitada quando se trata da estruturação de laboratórios de informática. Este artigo apresenta uma pesquisa que buscou analisar as condições de infraestrutura e uso de laboratórios de informática de escolas públicas situadas em cinco municípios da Região Metropolitana do Recife – PE. A partir das análises dos dados teceram-se reflexões sobre o Proinfo como uma política pública em educação. As análises dos dados de pesquisa evidenciaram dificuldades de algumas escolas para lidar com as questões técnicas e práticas que envolvem a inclusão digital. O estudo pode apoiar reflexões a respeito da implementação de políticas públicas de acesso e uso das tecnologias que considerem o contexto escolar como uma importante variável. Palavras-chave: Tecnologias da informação e comunicação. Proinfo. Laboratório de informática. Inclusão digital

Establishment of echocardiographic index of polo ponies

O treinamento atlético permite uma adaptação morfológica e funcional do coração de cavalos submetidos a diferentes tipos de exercício, portanto já foram publicados estudos sobre mensurações ecocardiográficas de cavalos de corrida, cavalos de enduro, cavalos de laço e tambor, cavalos de caça, entre outros, de outra forma, os índices ecocardiográficos de referencia para cavalos de polo não foram relatados na literatura. Sendo assim, foram realizadas mensurações ecocardiográficas em modo-M e 2D de 20 cavalos de polo em treinamento, estando eles divididos em três grupos de faixa etária, ou seja: Grupo I que consistiu de oito animais com idades entre cinco e dez anos, Grupo II com sete animais com idades entre 11 e 15 anos, e o Grupo III com cinco animais com idades entre 16 e 22 anos. Os resultados do nosso estudo demonstraram que não houve diferença estatística entre os diferentes grupos de faixa etária, não foi observado ainda um padrão para os valores de correlações com o peso, sendo eles de fraco a forte, positivo ou negativo.The athletic training allows for morphologic and functional heart of horses undergoing different types of exercise, so studies have been published on the echocardiographic measurements of race horses, endurance horses and barrel horses, hunting horse, among others, otherwise, the echocardiographic indices of reference for polo ponies were not reported. Thus, echocardiographic measurements were performed in M-mode and 2D 20 polo horses in training, when they were divided into three age groups, namely: Group I consisted of eight animals aged between five and ten years, Group II with seven animals aged between 11 and 15 years, and Group III with five animals aged 16 to 22 years. The results of our study showed no statistical difference among different age groups, there was no standard yet for the values of correlations with weight, they are weak to strong, positive or negativ

Psychophysical Evaluation of Achromatic and Chromatic Vision of Workers Chronically Exposed to Organic Solvents

The purpose of this paper was to evaluate achromatic and chromatic vision of workers chronically exposed to organic solvents through psychophysical methods. Thirty-one gas station workers (31.5 ± 8.4 years old) were evaluated. Psychophysical tests were achromatic tests (Snellen chart, spatial and temporal contrast sensitivity, and visual perimetry) and chromatic tests (Ishihara's test, color discrimination ellipses, and Farnsworth-Munsell 100 hue test—FM100). Spatial contrast sensitivities of exposed workers were lower than the control at spatial frequencies of 20 and 30 cpd whilst the temporal contrast sensitivity was preserved. Visual field losses were found in 10–30 degrees of eccentricity in the solvent exposed workers. The exposed workers group had higher error values of FM100 and wider color discrimination ellipses area compared to the controls. Workers occupationally exposed to organic solvents had abnormal visual functions, mainly color vision losses and visual field constriction

Development of a Behavioral Performance Measure

Since the fifties, several measures have been developed in order to measure the performance of investments or choices involving uncertain outcomes. Much of these measures are based on Expected Utility Theory, but since the nineties a number of measures have been proposed based on Non-Expected Utility Theory. Among the Theories of Non-Expected Utility highlights Prospect Theory, which is the foundation of Behavioral Finance. Based on this theory this study proposes a new performance measure in which are embedded loss aversion along with the likelihood of distortions in the choice of alternatives. A hypothetical example is presented in which various performance measures, including the new measure are compared. The results showed that the ordering of the assets varied depending on the performance measure adopted. According to what was expected, the new performance measure clearly has captured the distortion of probabilities and loss aversion of the decision maker, ie, those assets with the greatest negative deviations from the target were those who had the worst performance

Dificuldades no Processo de Aprendizagem de Algoritmos: uma Análise dos Resultados na Disciplina de AL1 do Curso de Sistemas de Informação da FAETERJ – Campus Paracambi

A disciplina de Algoritmos é a base para qualquer curso da área de Computação. Porém, para muitos alunos, constitui uma barreira difícil, pois apresenta conteúdos envolvendo interpretação de texto, raciocínio lógico e matemática. O artigo tem como objetivo estudar as dificuldades dos alunos ao cursar a disciplina AL1 do curso de Sistemas de Informação da FAETERJ-Campus Paracambi. Para isso, foi feito um levantamento dos índices de aprovação/reprovação na disciplina no triênio 2010-2012 e aplicado um questionário junto aos alunos sobre as dificuldades de assimilação dos conteúdos da disciplina para que se possa apontar um início para a melhoria do processo de ensino-aprendizagem na disciplina de Algoritmos

Aspectos Visuais e Conceituais nas Interpretações de Gráficos de Linhas por Estudantes

Resumo Este artigo discute dois estudos que investigam o efeito de inferências diretas ou inversas na interpretação de gráficos de linhas por 270 estudantes, de 11 a 14 anos, de escolas inglesas. Utilizamos problemas de produtos de medidas nos quais é preciso relacionar duas variáveis para inferir o significado da terceira. O Estudo 1 explora o efeito de inferências, diretas ou inversas, na interpretação e na construção de gráficos. Os problemas com inferência direta foram mais fáceis que os problemas com inferência inversa. O Estudo 2 investiga dificuldades em combinações de problemas com inclinação positiva ou negativa e inferência direta ou inversa. As dificuldades dos estudantes com os problemas de inferência inversa parecem relacionar-se com o uso de regras intuitivas. Gráficos de linhas ajudam estudantes a relacionar variáveis em problemas de inferência direta, mas não existe garantia de que nesses problemas os estudantes integrem aspectos visuais e conceituais da informação. Palavras-chave: Gráfico de Linhas. Produto de Medidas. Inferência Direta e Inversa. Visual and Conceptual Aspects in Students’ Interpretations of Line Graphs Abstract This article discusses two studies that investigate the effect of direct and inverse inferences in the interpretation of line graphs by 270 English school students from 11 to 14 years old. The research tasks were based on product of measures in which students need to relate two variables to infer the meaning of a third one. Study 1 explores the effect of inferences, direct or inverse, in the interpretation and construction of graphs. The problems with direct inference were easier than problems with inverse inference. Study 2 investigates difficulties in combinations of problems with positive or negative inclinations and direct or inverse inferences. Students’ difficulties with inverse inference problems seem to relate to the use of intuitive rules. Line graphs help students to relate variables in problems of direct inference, but there is no guarantee that students integrate visual and conceptual aspects of information in these problems. Keywords: Line Graphs. Product of Measures. Direct and Inverse Inferences

FLEXIBILITY AND UNCERTAINTY IN AGRIBUSINESS PROJECTS: INVESTING IN A COGENERATION PLANT

Concerns about global warming and high oil prices have spearheaded the search for alternate and more environmentally friendly sources of energy. One of the developments that has shown exceptional value is the increasing use of ethanol derived from biomass such as sugarcane, corn, beet and wheat. As the world's largest producer of sugar cane, Brazil has benefited from this trend to become also the largest producer of ethanol after the United States. Energy generation from biomass has also become a source of increasing interest due to growing environmental concerns and the depletion of the world's fossil fuel reserves. In this paper we analyze a sugar and ethanol producing sugar cane mill in Brazil that has both the option to expand production and invest in a more efficient bioelectricity cogeneration unit to allow the generation and sale of surplus bioelectricity generated from sugarcane bagasse, where the second option is conditional on the first one being exercised. The option to expand production is a function of the expected future prices of sugar and ethanol, while the decision to invest in the cogeneration plant will depend on future prices of energy. Both decisions are modeled as American type compound options over their respective underlying uncertainties. Many authors such as Schatzki