A Systemic Perspective in the Teaching-Learning Process of Mathematics at the Higher-Level Education

Abstract

Collaborative work represents a basis for improvement in the teaching-learning process of mathematics at the higher educational level and Professional Learning Communities (PLC) constitute a useful tool for this purpose. The purpose of this research was to apply the postulates of the Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) and PLC were applied to establish the bases for the construction of a systemic methodology that promotes changes in teaching practice. A workshop was held for teachers where peer collaboration techniques and the development of digital teaching materials were analyzed to improve their teaching practice. The interviews and observations were interpreted using three coding schemes: 1) to understand the answers of the participants throughout the workshop, 2) to examine the teaching proposals that they implement with their students and 3) to capture learning opportunities in the PLC interviews. Based on the theoretical approach adopted and the results obtained, several elements of the SSM and PLC were identified that contribute to the improvement of teaching practice and the quality of higher-level mathematics learning: from accepting the existence of the problem and interpreting it in an orderly manner to describing the root definitions of the system, as well as its interrelationships.