MATHEMATICAL RESEARCH: PROVOCATIONS FOR TEACHING ALGEBRA 7TH GRADE OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Abstract

The paper addresses educational processes from an investigative perspective, focusing on the teaching of algebra, highlighting its role in the educational formation of students. It presents the results of research that aimed to analyze students’ structured exploration, conjectures and justification when participating in a Mathematical Investigation activity that addressed algebra through patterns and regularities. This qualitative research was conducted through a field study with six seventh-grade students from a state public school located in the northwest of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, over four meetings. Activities were episodically organized, encompassing Learning Environments in three Investigation Scenarios: reference to pure mathematics, reference to semi-reality and reference to reality. These environments contributed to a deeper and more meaningful understanding of Algebra. The analysis of the empirical material was conducted using the emerging categories of Discursive Textual Analysis (DTA). The implications of the research for Science and Mathematics Education include the need to reconsider traditional approaches to teaching algebra in favor of methods that promote a profound understanding of the concepts and their practical application.