Resumen

BEYER K, Walter O. Catechisms and mathematics: confluence of thought schools. Paradígma [online]. 2009, vol.30, n.1, pp.117-150. ISSN 1011-2251.

In this paper we report a study of a set of 22 elementary math textbooks which was used for the teaching of the discipline in Venezuela during a long time period running between the ends of the nineteenth century and the beginnings of the twentieth century. These books were written in a very particular format of questions and answers, like the religious catechisms, and are also named catechisms. In order to establish the styles’ similitude of both types of books, in spite of the different topics treated in it, we analyzed historically some math catechisms used in Venezuelan math education, searching in the predominant thought streams the roots which explained the styles’ similitude. In order to carry out the study we revised a lot of math catechisms and a reconstruction of the fundamental contextual elements was performed, specially the thought streams which exerted influence at the time. We also observed the confluence of several of these thought streams which conduced to the employ of this format of books for the transmission of school knowledge. Finally, the conclusions were presented.

Palabras clave : Venezuelan math education; Historical textbooks; Math catechisms.