Biography - English
Martha Isabel Fandiño Pinilla, Mathematician and researcher with dual nationality (Colombian and Italian).
Biographical sketch
Martha Isabel Fandiño Pinilla was born in Pacho (Cundinamarca, Colombia) on September 28. She has a dual citizenship (Colombian and Italian) and lives a part of the year in Bogotà (Colombia) and the other part in Lido Adriano (RA) (Italy), after having lived for thirteen years in Bologna. She has two sons, José Leonardo and Oscar Humberto. She is married to Bruno D’Amore, the father of Pier Luigi.
She has a degree in Educational Sciences with a specialisation in Mathematics, consisting in a five-year degree course in Mathematics, specific for teaching, with a final written dissertation at the Universidad Pedagógica Nacional, Bogotà. She specialised in Mathematics Education for the escuela básica secundaria superior, a master’s degree of 4 semesters with a final written dissertation entitled Revisión a las técnicas e instrumentos de evaluación en la Educación Básica Secundaria y en la Educación Media Vocacional, at the Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas, Bogotà. She holds a PhD in Mathematics Education from the University Constantine the Philosopher in Nitra, Slovakia, with a doctoral thesis entitled: Fractions, conceptual and didactical aspects.
She started her career as a primary school tenured teacher (competition winner) at 16 years of age, to becoming a secondary school Mathematics teacher at the age of 26. A few years later she has devoted to university teaching but she was also a teacher for the Instituto Nacional De Seguros [National Institute of Insurances] from 1994 to 1996.
Among her activities we can point out the following.
Consultant in the Mathematics area for the “National tests service” (the national service for the assessment of teaching quality) of the ICFES “Instituto Colombiano para el Fomento de la Educación Superior” (a national institute in charge of all state examinations and controlled by the Ministry of Education) with the task of “Review and development of new conceptual frameworks and evaluation guidelines for programmes of validation, state examinations, education evaluation, and assessment of disciplinary and pedagogical knowledge of in-service Colombian teachers” from 1996 to 2000.
Professor in charge of the curricular project degree in Mathematics at the Universidad Distrital F. José de Caldas, Bogotá, from 1996 to 2000.
Holder of in-service training courses for Mathematics primary and secondary school teachers on behalf of the Ministerio de la Educación of the Departamento de Cundinamarca and the Universidad Distrital di Bogotà, in the following areas: calculator-assisted Mathematics (1997), elementary arithmetic problems: addition and multiplication structures (1999).
Consultant and organizer of the program “Professional development training for primary teachers and bachelor’s degree teachers in Guatemala”, on behalf of the Faculty of Engineering, University of San Carlos, Guatemala (1998 and 1999).
Consultant in the Mathematics area for the “Focused actions program (improvement for excellence)”, on behalf of the Columbian Ministry of Education and the National Pedagogical University, in 2000.
Lecturer in graduate and postgraduate courses at the Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas and the National Pedagogical University in the following disciplines: matemática básica (degree course in Mathematics); seminar de didáctica y epistemología de las matemáticas (degree course in Mathematics); evaluación en el aula de matemáticas (degree course in Mathematics); lógica matemática (degree course in Social Sciences); estadística (degree course in Social Sciences); professional development training courses for teachers (on behalf of the Ministry of Education, the Pedagogical University and the Universidad Distrital); seminar-laboratory on the initial teacher training (on behalf of the Ministry of Education, the Pedagogical University and Universidad Distrital).
External consultant for the ICFES, Bogotá, for a decade.
Since 2001 a widespread activity as a lecturer (in graduate and postgraduate courses) has been carried out also in Italy and Switzerland.
Since January 23, 2002, she has been a “Cultore della materia” in Didattica della Matematica, at the Faculty of Education of the University of Bologna, degree course in Primary teacher education.
She was a lecturer in Mathematics Education at the University of Bologna, from 2001 to 2012, both at the Faculty of Mathematical, Physical and Natural Sciences (degree course in Mathematics, postgraduate secondary teaching school and master’s degree course in Mathematics) and at the Faculty of Primary teacher education.
Since 2003, for a few years, he taught at the Faculty of Education of the University of Urbino.
From 2001 to 2013 she was been a lecturer at the University of Bolzano, located in Bressanone, Faculty of Education.
From 2003 to 2008 she was a lecturer in Mathematics Education and History of Mathematics at the Alta Scuola Pedagogica (ASP) and a member of the ASP research group of Locarno in Switzerland (subsequently Supsi, Scuola Universitaria Professionale della Svizzera Italiana).
In the 2006-07 academic year, she was a lecturer in a seminar for the PhD courses in Mathematics Education and a member of the examining committee for the international doctorate in “History and Didactics in Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry” at the University of Palermo.
She has taught courses and seminars at various academic levels (master’s degree courses, postgraduate courses and doctorate courses) at the universities of Alicante (Spain), Palermo, Bogotà.
In 2009 she taught a master’s degree course in Educación Matemática (PADEM), University of Lujan, Argentina.
She is still a lecturer at the Maestría en Educación Matemática and a director of master’s theses at the University of Medellin, Colombia.
She also holds courses on behalf of other Colombian universities.
Since 2011 she has been holding research seminars for the PhD at the Universidad Distrital of Bogotà.
Mathematics Education: research and its popularization for initial and in-service teacher training
He devoted his energies to research in Mathematics Education and their diffusion to teacher training, both initial and in-service.
Since 1998 she has been a member of the NRD (Nucleo di Ricerca Didattica), the research group in Mathematics Education located in the Department of Mathematics of the University of Bologna.
She is a member of the scientific committee and evaluation panel of the proposals for the Symposium Internacional de Educación Matemática, Chivilcoy, Argentina.
Since April 2000, she has been a consultant for the publisher Giunti, Florence, with regard to Mathematics Education.
She was a consultant of the ICFES, Bogotà, Colombia, for the review of national tests for the assessment of Mathematics secondary school teachers, from September to December 2002.
She has been a consultant for assessment questions for the Regional School Office of Emilia Romagna (of the Ministry of Education, University and Research), and for the activities of the Valermath (Valutazione Emilia-Romagna Matematica) research group, since February 2005.
She is a member of the Referee Committee of the journal RELIME, Cinvestav, México D.F. México.
Since November 2006 she has been a member of the editorial committee of the Mediterranean Journal of Mathematics Education, Nicosia, Cyprus.
Since October 2006 she has been a member of the research group MESCUD (Matemáticas Escolares Universidad Distrital), located in the Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas, Bogotà, Colombia.
From December 2007 to the end of 2008 she was a member of the INVALSI committee (Frascati, Roma) in the working group in charge of the planning of the framework for the testing Mathematics learning.
From 2006 to 2008 she was a member of the research group in Mathematics Education at the Alta Scuola Pedagogica in Locarno, Switzerland.
Since 2008 she has been a member of the Grup de Recerca sobre Anàlisi Didàctica en Educació Matemàtica (GRADEM), Barcelona, Spain, on behalf of the xarxa-REMIC de Catalunya.
Since April 2008 she has been a member of the scientific consultancy committee of the research group in Mathematics of the Agenzia Nazionale per lo Sviluppo dell’Autonomia Scolastica dell’Emilia Romagna.
Since January 2013 she has been a member of the scientific committee of the journal Redipe Virtual, published in Colombia.
Since 2004 she has been a scientific co-director (with Bruno D’Amore and Silvia Sbaragli) of the annual National Conference: Incontri con la matematica, which takes place every year in November. In 2009 she held the opening address.
She co-directed (with Bruno D’Amore) the National Conference: Festa della matematica in piazza e nel castello, which took place in Castel San Pietro Terme, on October 6, 2007.
She co-directed (with Bruno D’Amore) the III International Conference: Didattica Matematica 2008, which took place in Locarno, on August 25-26, 2008.
She co-directed (with Silvia Sbaragli) the I Festival of Mathematics: Matematica, il grande spettacolo, Riccione, Parco Oltremare, on March 24-25, 2012.
She has been carrying out an intense activity as a translator of books and articles from Italian into Spanish, then published in Spain and Latin America.
She has been a member of the collaborators committee of the monthly journal Scuola dell’Infanzia, published by Giunti, Florence, since March 2003.
She has been a member of the collaborators committee of the monthly journal Vita Scolastica, published by Giunti, Florence, since April 2003.
She directs the series Viva la matematica (published by Carocci Faber, Roma, in collaboration with B. D’Amore).
She directed the series Matematica per gli insegnanti e per la classe (published by Armando, Roma, in collaboration with B. D’Amore).
She was a scientific consultant for the Portfolio project by the publisher Giunti of Florence (2005), that can be consulted on the site: www.giuntiscuola.it/libri/portfolio, and for several other didactic projects.
It was a scientific consultant for various teaching guides on behalf of Giunti of Florence, including: Insegnare giorno per giorno. Matematica, scienze, tecnologia e informatica; Nuovi strumenti per insegnare nella scuola primaria. Matematica, scienze, tecnologia e informatica. She is the author of the preface of each volume. She is also an author of texts concerning the INVALSI tests, again on behalf of Giunti.
She participated in several national and international conferences in Europe and Latin America, holding seminars or conferences.
Her first national conference in Italy was held at the X National Conference Grimed, Castel San Pietro Terme, Italia, February 23‑24, 2001, paper entitled: L’educazione matematica degli allievi in difficoltà. Alcune problematiche specifiche in Colombia.
Her first international conference in Europe was held at the University of Cyprus, Nicosia, III Intensive Program Erasmus – Socrates, June, 22 - July 6, 2001, paper entitled: Concepts et objets mathématiques.
She was a member of the delegation of the University of Bologna (including the Magnifico Rettore prof. Pier Ugo Calzolari) visiting to Colombian universities.
Among her first research publications there are:
Revisión a las técnicas e instrumentos de evaluación en la Educación Básica Secundaria y en la Educación Media Vocacional, Universidad Distrital, Bogotá, 1995-96.
El estado de la evaluación de la Matemática en el aula. Universidad de los Andes, as part of the project RED (rete di valutazione del docente) [Teacher evaluation network], 1998-99.
In the academic years 2000-01 and 2001-02, she was a researcher member within the Research Program co-funded by the University of Bologna: L’apprendimento dell’infinito matematico: modelli mentali, ostacoli didattici ed epistemologici (scientific coordinator: Bruno D’Amore).
In the academic years 2001-02 and 2002-03, she was a researcher member within the Research Program of the Bologna Unit: Ricerche sul funzionamento del sistema: allievo-insegnante-sapere: motivazioni della mancata devoluzione (local scientific coordinator: Bruno D’Amore), as part of the National Research Program: Difficoltà in matematica: strumenti per osservare, interpretare, intervenire (national scientific coordinator: Franco Favilli, Università di Pisa), co-funded by the Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR).
In the subsequent years, until 2012, she was a researcher member within other research projects, co-funded by the MIUR, at the University of Bologna.
In 2001 she was a researcher member within the Centre of Excellence: Methods and Systems for Learning and Knowledge, at the University of Salerno.
From 2001 to 2006 she was a member of the research group “Large numbers”, in charge of the revision of the first year of the primary school curriculum, by radically modifying the approach to number based on actual numerical competencies of children starting school. The research was carried out at the University of Bologna and involved both Italian and Colombian school systems.
From September 2002 to 2004 she was engaged in the international research project on “The sense of the infinite” carried out by the NRD at the University of Bologna (Italy), the MESCUD at the Universidad Distrital of Bogotà (Colombia) and the ASP in Locarno (Switzerland). The research results were published in November 2004.
Since September 2002 she has been a member of the “International research group on the relationship between natural and mathematical languages in different cultures” founded in Palermo on September 25, 2002.
From 2004 to 2006 she was involved in the international research project on “Area and Perimeter”, carried out by the NRD at the University of Bologna (Italy) and the ASP in Locarno (Switzerland). The research results were published in July 2005.
Other international research projects were carried out on other issues, such as “The didactics of the number zero”, “Fractions”, “Epistemological and didactic obstacles: the influence of the teachers beliefs on learners’ conceptual development” (Italy, Colombia and Switzerland) and “Learning for competencies” (Italy, Colombia, Spain and Switzerland).
As a consultant for the Regional School Office of Emilia Romagna (of the MIUR), she held the opening seminar at the MIUR National Conference “La valutazione come risorsa per il miglioramento” on the issue: Competenza e valutazione: una sfida dell’educazione di oggi, on February 14, 2005.
She is a member of the Referee Committee of the journal RELIME, Cinvestav, México.
In the years 2008-09, on behalf of the French Ministry of Education, she was a member of the international working group that produced the Rapport intermédiaire du Conseil Scientifique du projet Cabri Elem développé par Cabrilog dans le cadre du programme Schène. The committee president was Colette Laborde, Professeur émérite at the Université Joseph Fourier. The group was constituted by Italian, French, Swiss and U.S.A. researchers.
In the years 2009-2011 she was engaged in the editorial project:
D’Amore B., Fandiño Pinilla M.I., Sbaragli S. (Eds.) (2011). Matematica nella scuola primaria, percorsi per apprendere. Bologna: Pitagora (14 volumes).
She has been an author of several prefaces to other authors’ works.
Research projects funded by Italian research institutes (CNR, Ministry of Research, University of Bologna) and by other countries’ institutes (the numbers refer to the research work published in official the list of publications):
Teacher training, assessment, curriculum, change of beliefs, the role of epistemology in teacher training, Mathematics learning: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 18. 20. 31. 32. 37. 46. 47. 49. 59. 86. 98. 103. 106. 109. 112. 119. 144. 146. 154. 157. 159. 161. 163. 166. 170. 172. 176. 178. 181. 185. 188. 193. 196. 201. 202.
Problem solving: 15. 53. 69. 117.
Difficulties in Mathematics learning, obstacles: 16. 137. 167. 179.
Semiotics: 17. 121. 122. 132. 142. 155. 191. 200. 203.
History for Didactics, Ethnomathematics, Epistemology: 19. 25. 91. 94. 95. 104. 168. 169. 194.
Preschool: 21. 24. 41. 57. 66. 73. 174. 209.
Foundations of Mathematics Education, didactic triangle, contract, effects, relation with General Didactics: 28. 68. 118. 130. 153. 156. 180. 208.
Specific research areas in Mathematics: Fractions: 35. 77. 116. 133. 141. 250. 195. Infinite: 64. 138. Area and perimeter: 85. 113. 129. 204. Zero: 160. 198. Competence: 43. 44. 45. 52. 80. 105. 115. 127. 128. 136. 151.
She is author of about 230 books and articles on research in Mathematics Education and on the popularization of this research for teacher training.
She has held seminars, courses and conferences in Italy and other countries (France, Spain, Cyprus, Guatemala, Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, Switzerland, Greece, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Bolivia, ...).
Popularization of Mathematics and the relationship between the language of Mathematics and Figurative Arts
She has devoted to the popularization of Mathematics through publications, conferences and seminars.
She is engaging in the study of the relationship between the language of Mathematics and Art criticism. At the Second Festival of Mathematics, directed by Silvia Sbaragli, Riccione, in March 2013, she held the conference: Alcuni artisti colombiani e la matematica.
For the complete CV and complete bibliography of Martha Isabel Fandiño Pinilla:
