A task for integrating computational thinking in the learning of affine function: An exploratory study with 8th grade students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48489/quadrante.37041Keywords:
computational thinking, functional thinking, affine function, mathematics, middle schoolAbstract
The recent introduction of computational thinking in mathematics curricula requires investment in the design of teaching resources that promote an integrated learning of computational thinking and mathematics in real classroom settings. Developed in the context of a teaching experiment, this exploratory study focuses on discussing how one task that integrates computational thinking into the study of affine function in the 8th grade contributes to the development of students’ computational thinking practices and students’ functional thinking. A qualitative methodology was adopted, with data collected through participant observation from two classes, supported by audio and video recordings, as well as students’ written work. The targeted computational thinking practices were abstraction, decomposition, pattern recognition, analysis and definition of algorithms, and development of habits for debugging and optimizing processes. Functional thinking analysis focused on the function representations, contextual and symbolic generalization, and mathematical modelling. The results show that computational thinking practices and dimensions of functional thinking were integrated during students’ task resolution, highlighting the important role of the task’s context and the different types of representation, namely the coded representation facilitated by Scratch, in supporting students moving from concrete examples to more general situations.
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