A evolução dos procedimentos usados pelos alunos: contributo de uma experiência de ensino centrada na multiplicação

Abstract

This paper presents and discusses some results on the evolution of calculation procedures used by 3rd year students, when solving multiplication tasks. These results are part of a larger study aimed to understand how students learn multiplication in a number sense development perspective, in the context of a learning trajectory. It was developed a teaching experience, a form of design research adequate to studies that intertwine research and teaching. The analysis of students’ written productions and classroom episodes revealed that an important evolution of the students’ procedures which seems to be supported by the characteristics of the proposed tasks — contexts, numbers and their articulation — and the classroom culture. The study also shows that this evolution is not a linear process, and that it differs from student to student, being evident some critical points in the procedures related to certain specific features of the tasks.