Abstract
The present study sought to describe how questions related to the teaching of mathematics are approached and conducted by virtual tutors in a distance-learning program for primary teachers. Data were collected in an undergraduate program in education in a Brazilian public university which considers that virtual tutors should help not only with the use of the virtual environment and its tools, but also with the contents and the education of their students, i.e., future teachers. Choosing this object of study allowed using a case study, which seeks knowledge based on a specific case, represented in this study by the way the work of virtual tutors is organized. To conduct our analysis, we took into account aspects of textual discourse analysis in a qualitative approach. We found that a fairly individualized service can be provided for the needs of each student by: a) pointing the positive aspects of each activity with a view to systematizing learnings; b) expanding and complementing the ideas presented; c) problematizing and questioning; and d) approaching aspects related to mathematics contents and the effective participation of children in activities. The description and analysis of tutor interventions allowed us to verify that, in this distance-learning program for teachers, many of the virtual tutors’ practices might be viewed as those of a teacher.
Mathematics teaching; Distance education; Teacher education