DEVELOPING PROBLEM-SOLVING, REFORMULATION AND PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS IN THE FINAL YEARS OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Abstract

This article presents an excerpt from a doctoral thesis that investigates the development of skills related to solving, reformulating, and designing of mathematical problems with 9th-grade students in Elementary School. The qualitative research was conducted in a public school in Fortaleza (CE), using a didactic sequence based on the problem-solving methodology proposed by Polya. The results show that students were initially unfamiliar with this type of approach, but, with teacher mediation, they developed competencies such as critical thinking, analytical reasoning, and autonomy. The study reinforces the importance of incorporating contextualized and interdisciplinary problems as a structuring axis of Mathematics teaching, in line with the BNCC and socio-interactionist perspectives. The investigative practice promoted significant advances in students’ conceptual understanding and in their ability to apply diverse strategies in mathematical problem-solving.