A teaching experiment in the 4th grade conducted in the dual role of teacher and researcher

Abstract

This article presents a reflection on a teaching experiment aiming at the development of 4th-grade students’ algebraic thinking, with a particular focus on the dual role of the teacher-researcher. The teaching experiment was guided by a conjecture with two dimensions (content and pedagogical). In both dimensions, the dual role of teacher-researcher entailed particular characteristics and challenges. On one hand, the teacher-researcher had to take on the teaching issues, by managing and conducting the class, actively listening to the students and interpreting their representations and, on the other hand, she had to develop a continuous search of data and their interpretation, as well as a close confrontation with the theoretical foundations that supported the study. This duplication of functions has contributed to the richness of the study, in the sense that her professional experience as a teacher of this school level allowed her to adapt the way she conducted the lessons to those students. In turn, the improvement of her research abilities benefited her teaching practice, namely by nurturing a permanent inquisitive stance. There were also important learning achievements by the all team concerning the selection, adaptation and construction of the mathematical tasks and also of curriculum development.