Didactic strategy to favor the mathematical belief system of students at the Universidad Estatal Amazónica, Ecuador
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36097/rsan.v1i64.3783Keywords:
Academic self-efficacy, Active teaching methodologies, Intercultural education, Rural educational settingsAbstract
The present study aimed to propose a didactic strategy designed to transform negative mathematical beliefs among students at the Universidad Estatal Amazónica, considering the sociocultural, educational, and emotional particularities of the Ecuadorian Amazon context. The research adopted a mixed-methods approach and followed a sequential structure in three phases: (1) diagnosis of the system of mathematical beliefs in 258 first-semester students through a validated questionnaire and exploratory factor analysis; (2) design of a didactic strategy based on the identified factors, organized into learning guides with motivational, cognitive, and metacognitive components; and (3) validation of the proposal using the Delphi method, with the participation of 17 experts selected according to the expert competence coefficient (K ≥ 0.80). The analyses included reliability testing (Cronbach’s α), content validity (Aiken’s V), and thematic analysis of qualitative observations. The factor analysis revealed three key dimensions—teacher support and motivation, perceived usefulness and success, and confidence with a positive attitude toward mathematics—which explained 72.4% of the total variance. Based on these results, specific activities were designed, including peer tutoring, interdisciplinary projects, the use of educational technologies, progressively challenging exercises, and strategies to reduce math anxiety. The validation showed a highly positive consensus. The proposed strategy proved to be pertinent and feasible for rural and intercultural contexts, highlighting its methodological soundness and potential impact on strengthening mathematical thinking from a contextualized perspective.
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