Epistemological boundaries between the history of mathematics and the history of its didactics
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19320914Keywords:
History of mathematics, Mathematics education, Didactic transposition, Epistemology, Teacher training, Anachronism.Abstract
The close relationship between academic mathematics and its teaching generates a profound epistemological confusion: equating the history of the discipline with the history of its didactics. This article aims to delimit the theoretical and methodological boundaries between both areas, justifying the need for differentiated historiographical narratives. Through a narrative literature review, the disciplinary evolution, methodological risks, and their formative implications are analyzed. The results show that didactics was consolidated as an autonomous science in the 1970s thanks to the concept of didactic transposition. Evidence shows that confusing both histories leads educational research into anachronism, judging past practices through contemporary paradigms. It is concluded that recognizing the history of didactics as an independent field is key for teacher training. Understanding the historical origin of curricula enables future teachers to critically address current educational obstacles.
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