30/05/2018

Every human being is born capable of mathematics

Reproduction of Marcelo Viana's column in Folha de S. Paulo.

Last week, I gave an interview to a TV station in Rio de Janeiro about Brazil's promotion to Group 5 of the International Mathematical Union and the state of mathematics education. The interviewer, friendly and competent, was quick to point out that she wasn't a "mathematician." Most of those present echoed this sentiment, explaining: "I'm a humanities person."

The idea that some people are born "in the sciences" and others "in the humanities" is one of the most widespread beliefs in Western civilization. And it's also a misconception, with serious consequences for the academic performance of children and young people. This was the central message of the seminar "Mathematical Mindsets," which I attended in São Paulo.

The seminar was dedicated to the ideas of Professor Jo Boaler from Stanford University in the United States. Based on recent advances in brain research and her experience as an educator, the researcher argues that every healthy human being can master mathematics in basic education.

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