A noção de igualdade mediada pelo recurso educacional digital O reino de Aljabar e a formação continuada de professores

Abstract

Teaching Algebra in the early years of Elementary School represents a significant challenge for teachers, mainly due to the complexity of the concepts and the predominantly operational approach to the equal sign. The research was conducted with four 5th grade teachers in a city in the metropolitan region of Fortaleza, and was structured in five training sessions, in which the teachers experienced exploratory activities with the two-pan balance and the Digital Educational Resource (RED) “The Kingdom of Aljabar: the challenge of the balance”. The general objective of the research was to investigate the knowledge of 5th grade teachers about the notions of equality, equation and inequality throughout a continuing education based on the use of Digital Educational Resources (RED). The specific objectives were: 1) To identify the knowledge of the teachers before and after the training, using diagnostic instruments with problem situations; 2) To analyze the improvement of the concepts throughout the training, using the two-pan balance and the RED; 3) To evaluate the contribution of the training through interviews with a specific script. The methodology adopted followed the principles of qualitative research, using as data collection instruments: problem situations applied before and after the training, observations recorded in a field diary, transcripts of conversations after the activities and semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed based on Content Analysis. The results revealed significant advances in the teachers' knowledge regarding the notion of equality, which went from an operational understanding to a relational understanding. Improvements in the participants' teaching strategies were also observed, who demonstrated greater confidence in approaching algebraic content. In addition, the teachers recognized the importance of DER as a teaching support, favoring the mediation of the concept of equation through contextualized problem situations. The training also contributed to the strengthening of Pedagogical Content Knowledge, by promoting moments of reflection on teaching practice and the articulation between theory and practice. It was concluded that digital technologies, when integrated into contextualized continuing education, represent a promising path for teaching algebra in the early years, promoting the construction of deeper meanings by teachers.