In recent years, the inclusion of computational thinking in education has become very important. This is a response to the needs of the evolution of our society and the skills demanded in students to obtain practical and integrated training. For this reason, the educational inclusion of these types of practices, strategies, and skills has been the subject of study in recent years. However, it is equally important to prepare and analyse the initial training of future teachers in this area. This research paper presents an empirical experience in which the degree of development of skills associated with computational thinking in preservice primary teachers is examined. For this purpose, programming practices with Scratch were carried out with a total of 149 students of primary education university degrees as part of their training in mathematics education. An experiment was designed for a control group and an experimental group with initial and final measurements using a validated diagnostic instrument consisting of 30 questions associated with computational concepts and their application: a computational thinking test. The result of the experience is positive, as a more significant improvement was observed in the experimental group, which was also accompanied by the impressions, provided by participants, that point in a positive, useful, and practical direction in terms of the development of this type of educational practice being relevant enough to introduce to the teaching and learning process of mathematics.

This paper focuses on the emergence of abstraction through the use of a new kind of motion detector—WiiGraph—with 11-year-old children. In the selected episodes, the children used this motion detector to create three simultaneous graphs of position vs. time: two graphs for the motion of each hand and a third one corresponding to their difference. They explored relationships that can be ascribed to an equation of the type A – B = C. We examine the notion of abstraction on its own, without assuming a dualism abstract-concrete according to which more of one is less of the other. We propose a distinct path for the attainment of abstraction, which involves navigating a surplus of sensible qualities. The work described in this paper belongs to early algebra, we suggest, because it involves the elementary symbolic treatment of unknowns and generals. More broadly, it advances a perspective on the nature of mathematical abstraction.

La inclusión de la tecnología como recurso educativo supone un nuevo escenario de trabajo en el aula que requiere de un proceso de investigación empírica para valorar su efectividad. El presente trabajo consiste en un análisis de cómo el uso del pensamiento computacional con Scratch permite abordar el desarrollo de la competencia matemática en resolución de problemas, observando la implementación del método de Polya en la resolución de problemas aritméticos. El trabajo se ha desarrollado bajo un modelo metodológico mixto, realizando un estudio de series cronológicas con medidas de pretest sustitutivas. Esta información se ha completado con un análisis cualitativo sobre la percepción del propio alumnado sobre su proceso de aprendizaje. Para llevar a cabo este trabajo, los estudiantes han realizado unas actividades diseñadas con Scratch y un proyecto para crear un videojuego basado en la resolución de problemas aritméticos. Los resultados evidencian una implementación positiva del método y un uso eficaz del recurso empleado mostrando una mejoría en la competencia en resolución de problemas y un mejor desarrollo de la competencia lingüística: se observa una importante mejoría en el proceso de lectura y comprensión del enunciado del problema, proceso fundamental para llevar a cabo la resolución de un problema. Palabras clave: Lenguajes de programación, informática educativa, resolución de problemas, Matemáticas en Educación Secundaria, pensamiento computacional.

To achieve the Fourth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of providing quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all 21st-century students, today it is essential to develop Computational Thinking skills. This article analyses the results obtained in an empirical experience in which Computational Thinking is used with Scratch educational software to address Geometry content in Primary Education. In many cases, this content is repetitive and has little practical application; therefore, using this resource as a learning tool allows us to propose a more dynamic, motivating, and effective approach for students. The experiment was carried out with a total of 66 students in the fifth year of Primary Education from 3 different schools using a non-equivalent control group design with substitute pre-test measures. In order to be able to carry out this work, the teachers involved first received initial training. Subsequently, the students carried out generic activities to familiarise themselves with the educational software and, finally, specific geometry activities. The results obtained show a more positive learning process among those students who worked with Scratch, highlighting the motivating and evidently practical aspect of this resource. These results serve to promote an approach to the teaching of Geometry in elementary education that goes beyond traditional boundaries, embracing student centricity and Computational Thinking as cornerstones. Additionally, the emphasis on Computational Thinking becomes a clarion call for educators to embrace innovative pedagogies that resonate with the evolving needs of 21st-century learners, and it should be considered an important element with a significant role in the Mathematics curriculum framework.

Se presenta un estudio de las tendencias temáticas en los artículos de educación matemática en España en los últimos años. Para ello se han analizado 959 artículos publicados desde 1999 a 2011 en una muestra de ocho revistas representativas de educación en general y de educación matemática, siguiendo el estándar de clasificación utilizado por la base de datos internacional MathEduc, especializada en educación matemática. Ello ha permitido comprobar las temáticas que centran el interés de los investigadores y conformar el mapa conceptual actual de esta disciplina científica a nivel local, verificándose que se cubre un amplio abanico de marcos temáticos.