Architecture in teacher training: from tangram to nasrid palace mosaic. firmitas, utilitas and 'venustas'

INTRODUCTION. This paper is intended to value Architecture as a pedagogic tool in the acquisition of geometric concepts by teachers at the early stages in Education. This research study has been included in a research project (ref. EDU2011-29114) entitled "Escuelas para la Justicia Social" ("Schools for Social Justice"). METHOD. This experience has been drawn on previous studies which have been conducted by the authors of the present paper since 2003. The designs of two questionnaires have been later used as pre- and post-tests in order to assess the degree of satisfaction and performance achieved throughout a number of courses given in Local Innovation and Teacher Training Centers in the Autonomous Community of Madrid. Similarly, a series of working sessions have been sequenced in order to address this specific training. RESULTS. The main finding of the present study consists in revealing the possibilities offered by Architecture as an interdisciplinary element valid in the acquisition of geometric knowledge. DISCUSSION. The present paper is integrated into other ground-breaking proposals in the field of didactics of Experimental Sciences and Mathematics of which only those pertaining to geometry are under study here. Although the comments received by teachers have been positive and have been successfully implemented in classrooms, at present the authors of this paper still do not have a quantitative nominal register of the results.