Resumen de Las matemáticas en la educación secundaria dominicana en la historia reciente: (1950-2023) propuestas oficiales y percepción de los profesores
Amado Camilo López
Investigating teachers’ instructional practices—particularly in mathematics—is essential to improving the overall quality of education. This study examines the historical evolution and current state of mathematics teaching in Dominican secondary schools through a mixed-method design that integrates both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The qualitative component focuses on the historical trajectory of mathematics instruction, highlighting legislative reforms that drove major changes in the education system, the development and use of mathematics textbooks, and the processes of teacher training and selection. In addition, it includes a detailed analysis of an official textbook from the era preceding the current curriculum. This analysis concentrates on how a representative secondary-level mathematics topic is presented, offering insights into the transposition of curricular content and the teaching model promoted by the textbook. These findings are then compared with teachers’ perceptions of using the same textbook in the classroom. The quantitative component explores teachers’ perceptions of mathematics instruction over the last decade, including methodological approaches to teaching the subject. Data were collected via a survey, providing information on how policy guidelines have influenced pedagogical practices during the period under study. Synthesizing these findings with the historical and legislative analysis offers a comprehensive view of mathematics teaching in Dominican secondary schools. Overall, the evolving secondary mathematics curriculum in the Dominican Republic reflects a continuous process of adaptation to changing societal, economic, and technological demands. The results indicate teachers’ strong interest and sense of participation in efforts to improve mathematics instruction. However, they also reveal a persistent technicist orientation, consistent with official textbooks, that emphasizes the execution of mathematical procedures and their application in exercises and problem-solving.
