We describe a didactic research on the teaching of mathematics focused on the conceptual mediation of the elementary school curriculum, with 30 pedagogues and 6 psychologists, 35 women and 1 man, between 22 and 50 years old, students of a graduate course in Psycho-Pedagogy. The purpose is to enable them to intervene with students who present learning disabilities and with their teachers. We collected data concerning their conceptions on mathematics; their skills and difficulties when solving problems focused on the use of rational numbers and in comprehending the different bases; the analysis of their own production and of the production of others. We show four propositions: mathematics is hard; mathematics is distressing; mathematics teachers do not promote learning; "I'm not competent in mathematics". We point out levels of complexity when solving problems and levels of awareness throughout the didactic procedure which allow us to argue in favor of its relevance.
Knowledge construction; mathematics; higher education
