Understandings, Approaches, Concepts, and Definitions of Didactic Sequence in Mathematics Education

Abstract

This investigation deals with the different understandings and approaches, attributed to the Didactic Sequence (DS) concept, identified in research in the Mathematical Education area. The current research has as objective to understand and to typify the different understandings and approaches on the Didactic Sequence concept, used in the Mathematical Education area. It deals with a theoretical assay with a qualitative approach. We categorize six different approaches to the DS concept in the Mathematical Education area, and we present a discussion about each one on the following aspects: (a) contextualization, (b) definition, (c) characterization, (d) explanation of the phases/stages/moments, (e) general synthesis, and (f) justification of the understanding on each approach of the DS concept. In a synthesis movement, as results, we interpret six particularities about the understandings and approaches attributed to the DS concept: (i) different approaches on DS; (ii) different characteristics about DS; (iii) similarities in approachesto DS; (iv)focuses onapproachesto DS; (v)three perspectiveson DSapproaches; (vi) two dimensions in the DS approaches. The sixapproaches have been typified as: didactic understanding of DS, pedagogicalunderstandingofDS,linguistic understandingofDS,mathematicalunderstandingofDS,didactic and pedagogicalunderstandingofDS,andpsychologicalunderstandingofDS.We concludethatthere are different approaches and understandings of DS in the Mathematical Education area, this way, we point to the need for deepening and exploration about the specificities of these understandings, particularly with regards to the formative dimension ofDS.