Laboratório de Matemática no museu: Usos e perspectivas

Abstract

The present research has as objective to observe the effect of didactic material in the development of mathematical ideas worked in the form of experiments, in a Living Museum of Science and Technology. We base this work on researches by ALMEIDA (1997), PEREIRA (2007) and FALCÃO (2009) that talk about the use of museums as environments that can foster learning and also we are based on NACARATO (2005), LORENZATO (2006), AGUIAR (1999), TURRIONI (2004), FIORENTINI E MIORIM (1990), among others that explore the use of didactic material and the Mathematics teaching laboratory in the classroom. The work was developed in the modality of qualitative research. Fieldwork was carried out in the mathematics laboratory at a public museum in the state of Paraíba, where we have worked with experimental mathematical activities. We have observed classes in the 6th and 9th grades of elementary school in several municipal schools. When researching the conceptions of several authors on the subject, we have identified some direct order limitations regarding the use of didactic material that we cannot use in all classes or contents and of indirect order such as the requirement of a greater time of planning and development of didactic resources for their use in the classroom. Regarding the possibilities, we highlight the socialization in the group work, of a more active and reflective student in relation to teaching-learning of Mathematics and a more active participation in the teacher-student relationship. We have identified that its use can mediate the development of content ideas and at the same time, also it has the function of diagnosing some gaps and difficulties presented by the student. When presenting teaching situations where the didactic material of manipulation is present, we have discussed how to trigger the formation of mathematical ideas in the student, with the teacher as mediator of this process. In observing the different activities developed in the museum, we have conclude that it is possible to have different conceptions of an Mathematics Teaching Laboratory in a museum, and that these conceptions depend on the proposal of the project that one wishes to develop in the museum and the formation of the people who will act in the project. Another result observed was the involvement of the students in the majority of experiments developed and in group work.