O uso do computador e da internet na construção do conceito de função: de fora para dentro da sala de aula

Abstract

This research study had as the main aim to analyze the construction of the function concept by high school students from the information taken by them on the Internet, using as reference texts found in sites on functions. Of qualitative approach and interpretative character, first year high school students from a State School of the Campina Grande city, Paraíba, we the subjects. The research study in question was done in classroom meetings. For the participant research to be carried out we based on the ideas of Lévy (1999) about cyberspace and the theory of Vygotsky about the construction of spontaneous and scientific concepts. It intended, from those, to answer what contributions to the formation of the function concept that the seek sites could present to the students. The research findings shown that the subjects frequently use the computer connected to the Internet, specially to the virtual communities, as Orkut and MSN, but to not frequently use it for pedagogical end. To use it for that they need to be motivated and oriented by other person with larger experience with Informatics. The research study subjects were surprised in found that Mathematics does not only imply calculus, it has history and the function content can be applied to day-by-day situations. Therefore, it can be said that the spontaneous concepts mathematical function construction occurred by the research subjects through the use of computer and of the Internet.