Um ensino de equação de 1° grau com uma incógnita via resolução de problemas

Abstract

The approach of teaching through problem solving has proven a fertile field for the development of various content in the classroom. In particular, we seek with this work to understand how teaching by way of problem resolution can contribute to learning contents of equations of the first kind. We focus our investigations in the 7th year of elementary school, considering that it is at this stage that the National curricular parameters point to content teaching 1° degree equations. The concerns that motivated us to this survey conducting activities arose in classes 7, 8 and 9 years of elementary school, in which was found a gap in the learning of concepts related to algebra. The participants of this research were 30 students enrolled in the seventh grade of elementary school, a school located in the northern region of Paraná, belonging to the Núcleo Regional de Maringá-NRE. We approach teaching by way of problem-solving, in which the problem was proposed as a starting point. The research developed in three stages in order to introduce the theme of first degree equations: (1) the teacher about the student, (2) the teaching by way of problem-solving, (3) the researcher about the student. The data were collected through the questionnaire answered by the teacher of the discipline, audio, solving the problems of the students and field notes answered by researcher during the implementation of the teaching. Analyzing the questionnaire answered by the teacher of the discipline and the field notes answered by researcher was unable to infer the class chosen is quite participatory, because students discuss the strategies and use all the time available on the basis of the resolution of the problems. The motivation was also a prominent feature in this class, where students have worked in pursuit of knowledge. We have identified in students ' speech difficulties during the resolution of the problems, being possible to infer that they focus on the representation of the problem. Such difficulties that permeated the stage of problem representation had such features as: the nature of the problem, mathematical terms as triple and multiple and false assumptions. We infer that the difficulty of interpreting the problem unleashed a string of errors, leading the students to make mistakes in the resolution. In General, despite the difficulties faced by students, it was found that they were able to identify the characteristics of an equation of the first kind as the use of unknown and the equal sign. Students also realized the importance of using equation of the first degree for the resolution of some issues, relating this importance to time spent for the resolution of problems and the ease in the resolution of the same.