Etnomatemática na caldeiraria industrial: uma investigação sobre as práticas matemáticas de caldeireiros em uma usina de cana-de açúcar

Abstract

This study examines the mathematical concepts embedded in the daily work of industrial boilermakers through the lens of Ethnomathematics. The research aimed to understand the mathematical knowledge mobilized by boilermakers in routine tasks within an industrial boilermaking shop. The study was conducted during the harvest season at a sugarcane mill in Santa Rita, Paraíba (Brazil), focusing on the industrial boilermaking sector. Methodologically, it adopts a qualitative, exploratory approach and a case study design. Three boilermakers (E1, E2, E3) participated. Data were collected through participant observation (field diary, photographic and audio records) and semi-structured interviews, and analyzed alongside technical documents (drawings and operating procedures). The analysis was organized into five axes: measurements and scales; shapes and developments; fitting and assembly; artifacts and mentefacts; and occupational communication. Results indicate recurrent use of perimeter calculation for cylinder development, unit conversions, practical computation of the generatrix in cones and frustums, and division of circumferences into segments/holes, among other procedures. Professional learning occurs on the job, with workers learning from one another, using a shared technical vernacular and tool adaptations; seasonal cycles (harvest/off-season) shape task choices. The study concludes that mathematics is embedded in tracing and assembly practices, and that making this knowledge explicit enabled proposals with potential to reduce rework and increase precision and safety.