Working with projects in contexts of Critical Mathematics Education and Reading and Writing the World with Mathematics: perceptions of high school students from a federal school system

Abstract

The teaching of mathematics, and specifically the teaching of statistics, has commonly been approached following a traditional approach, often technicist, and based exclusively on the use of formulas. By combining the use of work with projects in the development of an investigation in statistics, following concepts of Critical Mathematics Education, an investigative cycle in statistics was applied in a class in the 3rd year of high school at a federal technical school, based on knowledge in spiral and applied to a real problem: flooding. After that, in order to investigate the possibilities and limitations of the project, this work presents the content analysis of the answers of 16 students among the 26 who participated in the activities. As a result, the students signaled for the development of skills related to reading the world with mathematics, combined with statistical literacy. Among the potentialities of the work, the practical application of the contents stands out, as the possibility of conducting an investigation by interacting with peers, the structuring of the activities, and their sequencing, which are stimulating and captivating. Among the limitations, the students highlighted their capacity for agency over the real problem (therefore, writing the world with mathematics) and suggested a better systematization and formalization of the content, organization, and initial presentation of the project. Despite the limitations, the students involved in the research consider that this is a class model to be adopted more frequently, showing that this can be a significant methodological approach for the teaching of statistics contents related to Basic Education.

Work with projects; Critical Mathematics Education; Statistics Education; Reading and writing the world with mathematics