It is widely recognized that it had a negative impact on the learning of elementary and high school students throughout the country, especially in mathematics. According to the results of the (basic evaluation system), released by Inep (National Institute for Educational Studies and Research), the average notes of the discipline fell between 2019 and 2021: from 227.9 to 216.9 in the 5th year; from 263 to 256.3 in the 9th grade; and from 280.5 to 276.9 in the 3rd year of high school. It is worth remembering that Brazil was one of the countries that kept schools closed longer. The latest available result is 2023, when the average notes showed improvement compared to 2021, but still remained below the levels observed in 2019. The next round of evaluations will be applied next month, with the disclosure of the data scheduled for 2026.
The gender difference in mathematics throughout school life is persistent. This factor impacts career choice and, consequently, future income, as average wages are higher in mathematics areas. Thus, although girls have a superior participation than boys in higher education, they remain under-tiled in fields such as finance, science, technology, engineering, mathematics and economics. A central explanation for this phenomenon is the lowest performance in girls during the school years.
The worsening in the results of the test does not occur homogeneously, especially when we observe the differences in gender and race. These inequalities already appear at the end of elementary school 1. While the national average in the 5th grade was 224.8 points, the difference between boys and girls reaches 2.9%, and between black, brown and indigenous students (PPI) and white and yellow reaches 6.6%. When we combine gender and race, the distance increases to 9.2%. In the 3rd year of high school (traditional and integrated), the national average was 274.1 points, but the disparities remain. The difference between genders is 2.6%; between PPI and whites and yellows, 7.3%; And when we compare white and yellow boys with PPI girls, the distance reaches 10%.
Literature points different ways to improve teaching. One is the Growth Mindset, which suggests that believing that intelligence is malleable can improve student performance. Promoting this mindset strengthens resilience, reduces anxiety and reinforces belief in the possibility of progress through effort. Studies show that students exposed to Fixed Mindset environments (fixed mindset) face higher levels of anxiety and threat of stereotype, that is, the fear of confirming, through their own performance, a negative stereotype associated with the social group to which they belong. This effect reaches more, on average, girls and students PPI. These results emphasize the importance of teaching practices that encourage the mindset of growth and support the development of a solid mathematical identity.
With the fall of the birth rate in the country, it was expected that per capita investment per student would increase and result in improvements in school performance. Unfortunately, we are far from it. Inequalities persist within Brazil and when we compare our position with that of other countries, the picture is worrying. It’s past time to invest more in the quality of education. Today, what Brazil unfortunately leads is the waste of talents.
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