O processo de génese instrumental e a calculadora gráfica na aprendizagem de funções no 11.º ano

Abstract

This study aims to study how 11th grade students integrate the graphic calculator in their mathematical activity on the topic Rational Functions, that is, what characterizes the process of instrumental genesis. It seeks to answer the following questions:

(a) What are the instrumental schemes and the schemes of algebraic understanding that they use and how they relate them?

(b) What is the role of the learning context in the process of instrumental genesis?

In this study we adopted a qualitative methodology, with the completion of a case study. The strategies for data collection were interviews, classroom observations and analysis of students’ written production. The findings indicate that students integrate the graphing calculator in their activity significantly, and developed several instrumental schemes. While valuing the implementation of schemes of algebraic understanding, the use of the calculator has contributed to the development of mental schemes that help them to understand algebra as a mean of representation. The study stresses the importance of the learning context, namely: the development of tasks involving different representations and the conversion between them; the discussion of the tasks using a graphing calculator connected to the View Screen; the emphasis given to the technology limitations and the selected window.