Theoretic-methodological procedures for writing a history of mathematics education

Abstract

“History is an old lady that is repeated incessantly” refers Eça de Queirós in his book “England Card”. The knowledge of our history will interest today and forever for the knowledge of man, as will interest the knowledge of the history of education, in particular, knowledge of the history of mathematics education. Not only because it seems to repeat itself, as Eça de Queirós wrote, as well as for helping to better understand the present and contribute to sustainable construction of the future. In fact, it is not necessary justify here the importance of History. We have, preferably, other concerns. The first is: Who writes the history of education of the discipline of mathematics?, and the second: How to write the history of school subjects? This article seeks to provide a possible answer to these questions, deepening the second question, for us more difficult to answer. So let’s dwell on the methodology for writing this story that may be made by anyone who has a background in mathematics and mathematics education, using the historian’s methodology.