Solving contextualized mathematics problems: analysis of a didactic action for the teaching of mathematics in the early years of elementary school

Abstract

This article reports a qualitative research of an interpretive nature and had among its objectives to investigate how contextualized mathematical problems make possible the construction of strategies of resolution based on the interpretation and comprehension of its statements. The research was developed in two classes of the 4th year of elementary school in a public school in the city of Curitiba (PR). The context was created from suggestions of the students through a survey of interest, which after systematized resulted in a collective theme for the two classes. Contextualized problems were created in threaded episodes, which were solved by the students in six encounters, some in group and others individually. The solutions were recorded in writing and dialogues recorded in audio and video. Concomitant with the analysis of the resolutions, students were interviewed to analyze strategies that they worked out. The results showed that the use of topics of interest to the students as a basis for the contextualization of mathematical problems contributed to the development of an investigative posture of the students, favored the interpretation of the statements of the problems allowing the perception of mathematical relations in them involved and contributed to the conceptual learning of curricular mathematical contents.