Representações e Conhecimentos Prévios sobre o Conceito de Área: Um Estudo com Estudantes de Pedagogia

Abstract

This article presents an investigation into the prior conceptions and graphic representations of the concept of area among Pedagogy students. Based on Ausubel's Theory of Meaningful Learning, the study analyzes how the prior knowledge of these future educators can influence their understanding and subsequent teaching practice related to fundamental geometric concepts. Through a questionnaire applied to 34 students from a Pedagogy course at a Brazilian public university and the elaboration of representative sketches, it was possible to identify the main representations and conceptions of the participants, revealing conceptual gaps and opportunities for didactic interventions in initial teacher training. The qualitative analysis of data, carried out through content analysis technique, showed the predominance of operational conceptions about area (47% of participants), centered on calculation formulas, followed by spatial definitions (29.4%). The results highlight the need for pedagogical strategies that promote the re-signification of mathematical concepts during teacher training, favoring meaningful learning that can positively reflect on the quality of basic education. The study contributes to reflection on mathematical training in Pedagogy courses and offers subsidies for the development of more effective didactic proposals.