Attitudes and Beliefs Towards Mathematics and Mathematical Talent: An Analysis with Participating and Nonparticipating Teachers in OLCOMA

The affective domain of the mathematics teacher is an element to consider in the teaching of this discipline due to its influence on the development of the class and on the attitudes and beliefs of the students. Since participation in the Costa Rican Mathematics Olympiad (OLCOMA, for its acronym in Spanish) implies the teacher addressing another type of mathematical content from a different approach than secondary education, it could be thought that their affective profile is different from a teacher who has no particular interest in doing so. Therefore, the objective of this research was to analyze the attitudes and beliefs towards mathematics and the mathematical talent of teachers in this field whether they have OLCOMA experience. The study had a mixed research approach, and for data collection, a questionnaire and detailed interviews were applied. Based on the results, it was possible to identify characteristics of teachers who participate in OLCOMA and those who do not, regarding perception of mathematical talent, conception of mathematics, confidence and security when working with any mathematical topic, and ways of solving mathematical problems, among others. In most of the study categories, the evaluation was very positive for mathematics teachers participating in OLCOMA, but the beliefs towards mathematical talent of teachers who did not participate in the project had a more positive evaluation compared to teachers who did participate. This research provides contributions to the training and preparation of mathematics teachers, both in service and in training, since it delves into the affective characteristics of mathematics teachers, and to carry out research related to mathematical talent and the affective domain of teachers.