Os movimentos de desenvolvimento profissional do professor e das interações e comunicação de ideias em um ambiente de resolução de problemas com uma turma de sexto ano do ensino fundamental

Abstract

Given the difficulties students face in learning mathematics in Brazil, a reality I also experience in the classroom, with this qualitative research, I seek to investigate the meanings constructed by sixth-grade elementary school students when immersed in a problem-solving environment and how these meanings are reflected in their understanding, interpretation, and communication of mathematical ideas (orally and in writing). This investigation was conducted with a sixth-grade class in a school in the Midwest region of Minas Gerais. The research analyzed sixth-grade students' understanding and interpretation of mathematical problems, with a focus on promoting argumentation and communication skills, both orally and in writing. Data collection occurred through a sequence of tasks based on the Problem-Solving teaching methodology, which, according to Van de Walle (2009), consists of six stages. The data collection instruments used were audio and video recordings of classroom sessions, students' written work, and my reflective journal. Problem-solving has proven to be an essential tool for stimulating interactions among students and between them and the teacher-researcher, as well as for students' construction of meaning regarding the situations presented, as it is through this process of interaction that students attribute meaning to the mathematical content. Vygotsky (2001) highlights the importance of the other in understanding and significance. The meaning of a word is fundamental to effective understanding, because when students did not attribute meaning to certain words, operations, or situations, understanding did not materialize. Reading and writing in mathematics classes proved important for understanding and significance, reinforcing the need to increasingly focus on them, as it is through teaching how to do things and through practice that students will develop their mathematical vocabulary and their repertoire of strategies, thereby promoting greater autonomy. All this research and study led me to engage in a process of (re)signifying my own practice, contributing significantly to my professional development.