A resolução de problemas com a folha de cálculo na aprendizagem de métodos formais algébricos

Abstract

In this study, students’ problem solving supported by the use of the spreadsheet is the privileged context to promote the learning of formal algebra methods. A teaching experiment was implemented in a 9th grade class with the purpose of providing students insight and understanding into the algebraic methods associated with solving systems of 1st degree equations and 2nd degree equations. Here we present the case of the student Ana through the analysis of the representations that she produced when solving several of the problems in the spreadsheet, taking into account that this tool has special characteristics and presents a hybrid mathematical language that may facilitate the transition from arithmetic to algebra and therefore promote the learning of the algebraic symbolic language and formal methods.

The results of the research study showed that at an early stage Ana often resorted to ‘conversions’ to the numeric notation system when addressing the given problems. However her work with the spreadsheet encouraged her use of the algebraic notation and throughout the teaching experiment her conversions become mostly to this notation system. Solving contextualized problems also proved to be useful for the establishment of relations between the symbolic language of the spreadsheet and the algebraic symbolic language performed with paper and pencil. It helped to make sense of the algebraic formal methods based on informal approaches to the problem situations.