As estratégias de resolução de problemas da estrutura multiplicativa utilizadas por alunos do Ensino Fundamental I

Abstract

This research aims at investigating problem solving strategies of the multiplicative structure used by students from the 4th and 5th school years of the elementary teaching of the State School Stella da Cunha Santos located in the town of Sapé/PB. The survey uses the qualitative approach and it had the purpose to answer the following questionings: What are the types of strategies used by students in problem solving of multiplicative structure? What are the difficulties presented by the students in the attempt to solve problems of the multiplicative structure which were assigned to them? What are the teachers´ conceptions involved in the research in regard to problem solving of multiplicative structure? In order to found our study theoretically, we used other authors´ research about problem solving as well as we make reference to Gérard Vergnaud´s theory of conceptual fields concerning multiplicative structure. The study was accomplished from the use of a diagnostic test, containing eight problems, so that they would encompass the concepts of comparative multiplication, proportionality, rectangular and combinatorial configuration related to multiplicative structure. This test was answered by the students and a semistructured interview guide was fulfilled with two teachers: one from the 4th school year and the other one from the 5th school year. With reference to data analysis, we realized that teaching of multiplication and division operations is developed, separately, without the establishment of the existing relations between them, emphasizing, thus, the conventional algorithm exercising. We also point out the importance of teaching these contents by means of different types of problems so that different strategies, used by the students for solving them, can be discussed and explored.