Mathematical Cognition in Higher Education: an analysis of an investigative activity

Abstract

In this article, we present an investigation to highlight aspects of mathematical language and how they relate to mathematical cognition in the development of an investigative activity in a Differential and Integral Calculus 1 course. Mathematical cognition is understood as processes by which individuals understand mathematical ideas and investigative activities as essentially open and poorly structured, in which it is possible to address themes or situations of interest to students, mobilizing knowledge of different natures. The activity we analyzed was developed by a group of students from the Food Technology course and the discussions we undertake are supported by the signs produced in the communication of results to the class, in the records present in the final report and in a scheme prepared by the group considering the development of investigative activity. Through the variety of signs produced by the students in the development of the activity, we inferred aspects related to the representations present in the communication, which was necessary, primarily the graphical representation to associate mathematical knowledge with knowledge about the phenomenon under study. Through communication, the mathematical cognition of the investigated group is evident when they report their actions to choose the theme, to adjust curves to empirically collected data, to obtain a solution to the problem and to the arguments used to answer the teacher's questions and from other students in the classroom in order to refine the constructed mathematical model.