Webquest and Affectivity Found in the Acquisition of Mathematical Knowledge by Senior High School Students

Abstract

Webquest is a current research proposal for teaching Mathematics. It is a captivating technological resource, which offers challenging situations to its participants. However, as it usually happens to any proposal, students may run into difficulties leading to anxiety at the affective level, and in that case the issue raised here is: How are feelings aroused during its resolution linked to the students' interactions with mathematical knowledge (about linear algebra) and among the group mates? This is a qualitative research based on Piaget's theory - about the acquisition of knowledge and its relationship with affectivity - it analyzed how 21 students interacted in the application of three Webquest challenges. To collect the data, we used semi-structured questions: before, during and after the accomplishment of each challenge. The results showed that the interactions were mainly guided by cooperation. At the beginning of each challenge feelings such as interest, fear, and anxiety prevailed. As the students advanced in other challenges, sometimes being successful, sometimes making mistakes, the feelings aroused were joy, frustration, interest, fear, among others. We concluded that such feelings aroused the students' cognitive actions and even those who had not achieved a positive result persisted in the activities until the end, that is, nobody gave up and that happened due mainly to the instigating and interesting affective feature which Webquest encouraged within that context meant for learning mathematics.

Keywords:
Affectivity; Webquest; The teaching of mathematics