Comparing Mathematics Early Years Education in Spain, Portugal and Slovenia
This work aims to examine how the learning of mathematics in early childhood is developed in different policies, particularly within the processes of formal education and care in early years institutions. A comparative analysis of early mathematics education policies across countries must consider c...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-07-01
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| Series: | Mathematics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7390/10/15/2590 |
| _version_ | 1797441499473903616 |
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| author | Ana Ancheta-Arrabal Carlos Segura |
| author_facet | Ana Ancheta-Arrabal Carlos Segura |
| author_sort | Ana Ancheta-Arrabal |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This work aims to examine how the learning of mathematics in early childhood is developed in different policies, particularly within the processes of formal education and care in early years institutions. A comparative analysis of early mathematics education policies across countries must consider cultural differences, teaching practice, structural differences and institutional framework conditions, as well as the initial training and professional knowledge of teachers and educators. Extracted from the official country regulations, the following pages include some of the main characteristics of the national systems of early childhood education and care (ECEC) in Portugal, Slovenia and Spain, as well as a comparison of the ECEC guidelines concerning mathematics education between these three countries. There is an international consensus on an approach to early mathematics education inspired by realistic mathematics education (RME), i.e., on the importance of working mathematically in context, as well as on the idea of doing so through play, developing the language to communicate mathematical ideas. However, we found that these three aspects are reflected very differently in the official regulations of the three countries: while in Spain the development is very detailed and emphasizes the holistic approach and the role of mathematics in exploring the environment, the Portuguese curriculum emphasizes the role of mathematics as a form of language. The Slovenian curriculum, at last, focuses on the concepts and procedures associated with each mathematical sense. Furthermore, there are structural features concerning the regulation and type of ECEC system that have an influence in the implementation of the curriculum. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T12:23:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a42dfe8b4ecd4c7583c4bf6dcda88ee1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-7390 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T12:23:57Z |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Mathematics |
| spelling | doaj.art-a42dfe8b4ecd4c7583c4bf6dcda88ee12023-11-30T22:37:31ZengMDPI AGMathematics2227-73902022-07-011015259010.3390/math10152590Comparing Mathematics Early Years Education in Spain, Portugal and SloveniaAna Ancheta-Arrabal0Carlos Segura1Department of Comparative Education and History of Education, Faculty of Philosophy and Sciences of Education, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, SpainDepartment of Mathematics Education, Faculty of Teaching, University of Valencia, 46022 Valencia, SpainThis work aims to examine how the learning of mathematics in early childhood is developed in different policies, particularly within the processes of formal education and care in early years institutions. A comparative analysis of early mathematics education policies across countries must consider cultural differences, teaching practice, structural differences and institutional framework conditions, as well as the initial training and professional knowledge of teachers and educators. Extracted from the official country regulations, the following pages include some of the main characteristics of the national systems of early childhood education and care (ECEC) in Portugal, Slovenia and Spain, as well as a comparison of the ECEC guidelines concerning mathematics education between these three countries. There is an international consensus on an approach to early mathematics education inspired by realistic mathematics education (RME), i.e., on the importance of working mathematically in context, as well as on the idea of doing so through play, developing the language to communicate mathematical ideas. However, we found that these three aspects are reflected very differently in the official regulations of the three countries: while in Spain the development is very detailed and emphasizes the holistic approach and the role of mathematics in exploring the environment, the Portuguese curriculum emphasizes the role of mathematics as a form of language. The Slovenian curriculum, at last, focuses on the concepts and procedures associated with each mathematical sense. Furthermore, there are structural features concerning the regulation and type of ECEC system that have an influence in the implementation of the curriculum.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7390/10/15/2590early childhood educationmathematics learningcomparative studyrealistic mathematics educationmathematics curriculum |
| spellingShingle | Ana Ancheta-Arrabal Carlos Segura Comparing Mathematics Early Years Education in Spain, Portugal and Slovenia Mathematics early childhood education mathematics learning comparative study realistic mathematics education mathematics curriculum |
| title | Comparing Mathematics Early Years Education in Spain, Portugal and Slovenia |
| title_full | Comparing Mathematics Early Years Education in Spain, Portugal and Slovenia |
| title_fullStr | Comparing Mathematics Early Years Education in Spain, Portugal and Slovenia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Comparing Mathematics Early Years Education in Spain, Portugal and Slovenia |
| title_short | Comparing Mathematics Early Years Education in Spain, Portugal and Slovenia |
| title_sort | comparing mathematics early years education in spain portugal and slovenia |
| topic | early childhood education mathematics learning comparative study realistic mathematics education mathematics curriculum |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7390/10/15/2590 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT anaanchetaarrabal comparingmathematicsearlyyearseducationinspainportugalandslovenia AT carlossegura comparingmathematicsearlyyearseducationinspainportugalandslovenia |