Educação financeira associada ao conhecimento matemático: uma análise a partir da teoria ator-rede

Abstract

Inspired by the suspense genre and the ingenious plots of Agatha Christie, this dissertation adopts an investigative approach to unravel the mysteries surrounding Financial Education in the context of continuing education for Mathematics teachers. We chose this narrative genre because it dialogues with Actor-Network Theory (ANT), which teaches us that nothing should be taken as self-evident and that, to understand a network, one must follow clues, map connections, and uncover hidden disputes. Our objective was to analyze Financial Education as a sociotechnical network, investigating how mathematical knowledge and practices in mathematics education are mediated and translated in the interaction between humans and non-humans. To this end, we relied on the concepts of mediation and translation from Bruno Latour, seeking to understand how different actants—teachers, educational policies, international organizations, teaching materials, digital platforms, and financial institutions—affect the teaching of Financial Education. The research followed a qualitative approach, using document analysis and observation. Like a detective following clues, we examined regulations such as the Brazilian National Common Core Curriculum (BNCC), Bahia State Curricular Reference Document (DCRB) and Resolution CNE/CP No. 1/2020, and followed a continuing education program conducted at the State University of Feira de Santana (Uefs), within the scope of the Collaborative Group on Mathematics and Education (GCMEduc), focusing on Financial Education. Data analysis was guided by the three methodological principles of ANT: agnosticism, ensuring neutrality in observing the network’s actants; generalized symmetry, treating humans and non-humans with the same analytical relevance; and free association, rejecting prior separations between social and technical elements and allowing relationships to emerge from the investigation. The results reveal that Financial Education is not a neutral field, but a space of disputes, where different actants attempt to control its narrative. We identified that teachers often reproduce normative discourses about consumption and financial planning without questioning their social implications. The research points to the need for continuing education that enables teachers to understand and intervene in the forces that affect and are affected in the teaching of Financial Education. Finally, this study paves the way for further research exploring the influence of digital platforms on Financial Education and the impact of financial discourses on students.