Mathematics teaching in a prison context: teaching perspectives in an extension action at APAC

Abstract

Initial teacher education has increasingly required a deeper understanding of the sociocultural diversity present in different educational contexts, including those marked by deprivation of liberty. This article was developed with the aim of analyzing the perceptions of undergraduate Mathematics teacher education students regarding their participation in extension activities carried out at a unit of the Association for the Protection and Assistance of the Convicted, an alternative model of penal enforcement, in the Brazilian context. The study adopted a qualitative approach and used as its corpus five narrative reports produced by fourteen students who planned and conducted seven pedagogical meetings in June 2025. During these meetings, the activities sought to support the review of basic mathematical content, stimulate logical reasoning, and foster formative opportunities in an environment of restricted freedom. Data were analyzed through thematic analysis procedures, considering elements such as participant engagement, didactic strategies employed, and learning perceived by the students. The findings indicate that the experience promoted an understanding of the social function of education, encouraged pedagogical practices sensitive to diversity, and contributed to the deconstruction of prejudices about the prison system. The students highlighted the engagement of the incarcerated participants, the effectiveness of playful methodologies, and the need for pedagogical adaptations in response to learning gaps. It is concluded that the extension activity presents strong formative potential for future teachers by highlighting mathematics education as a humanizing and socially committed practice, although limited to the specific context analyzed.