Oral History in Mathematics Education: On Non-historiographical Research

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to demonstrate how oral history has been mobilized as a research methodology in the area of mathematics education in Brazil, more specifically in research which has no historiographical approach. We describe how oral history became incorporated into the area with the emergence of a research group with a specific interest in problematizing the potential of this methodology for mathematics education. We also describe protocols, procedures, and topics which have been explored in the research. Moreover, we list the contribution of this methodology for the understanding of topics, practices, and scenarios of Brazilian mathematics education through accounts of experiences of people who are or have been involved in it.