Desafios e possibilidades de se trabalhar a modelagem matemática na perspectiva sociocrítica em uma comunidade rural

Abstract

This research aimed to investigate the development of a Mathematical Modeling activity, from a Sociocritical Perspective, in a state public school in Minas Gerais, Brazil, located in a rural community, focusing on the pedagogical practice of the teacher-researcher with an eighth-grade class in Elementary Education. An effort was made to establish a learning environment mediated by this approach, characterizing the experiences of the teacher-researcher and the students throughout the proposal, with the aim of identifying its potentialities and challenges. As an outcome of the research, an educational product entitled Mathematical Modeling in the Final Years of Elementary Education: An Experience in a Rural Community was developed in the form of a Theoretical-Practical Guide, intended to support teachers interested in implementing Mathematical Modeling practices in their educational contexts. The investigation adopted a qualitative approach, prioritizing the understanding of interactions and behaviors within the school environment. For data collection, instruments such as semi-structured questionnaires, records of the activities carried out, classroom discussions, observed interactions, and the teacher-researcher’s reflective journal were used. The analysis of the descriptive and interpretative data enabled an understanding of classroom dynamics and of the relationship between theory and practice in Mathematical Modeling, based on the construction of interpretative aspects emerging from the analytical process. The developed proposal sought to promote the connection between mathematical content and situations experienced by students in the rural community, contributing to interactions, collaborative work, and decision-making processes concerning real issues. Throughout the development of the activities, we observed indications of increased participant engagement, evidenced by the collective organization of actions and mobilization around shared concerns. The experience contributed to reflections on pedagogical practice in Mathematics classes by articulating school knowledge, local experiences, and the demands of the rural context. The study also brought reflections on the role of Sociocritical Mathematical Modeling in the construction of pedagogical practices attentive to the diversities present in rural contexts. This perspective sought to value collective processes of decision-making, collective action, and the development of proposals aimed at the common good, and it pointed to paths that may enable the strengthening of student protagonism, understood as the expansion of students’ capacity to analyze, take positions, and act in relation to the situations investigated, fostering the strengthening of both autonomy and dialogue between local and school knowledge.