A representação do tempo vivido e praticado na vida dos estudantes na alfabetização/EJA: um estudo etnomatemático

Abstract

The present research regards the mathematical notion of time in the Education of Elderly and Young People (EJA) as a possibility of valorization of students experiences. This choice of theme occurred due to the fact that, as a teacher of this modality, the researcher being experience several nuances which involve the learning and teaching of this mathematical concept. With a qualitative character, this research presents, as a reflexive support, the researcher’s experiences as a EJA teacher in a public school in Ituiutaba, a municipality located in the region Pontal do Triangulo Mineiro, and the methodologies she used to teach math in the First Segment of Elementary School (Alphabetization), precisely because it realizes that Ethnomathematics is a significant technical support capable of explaining, knowing and understanding natural phenomena, in different cultural contexts. The analysis began with the characterizing of student profiles. Identification of previous knowledge and sociocultural experiences shared by them during the activities developed about the theme. The process was set in motion by the construction of a cultural calendar by the students. The educational product developed as part of this dissertation regards a didactic proposal which culminated in the elaboration of a pedagogical game called “ItuiuTempo”. The game approaches the main cultural aspects of the municipality of Ituiutaba-MG and can be used as facilitator for the learning process in alphabetizing at EJA, arising in the students the comprehension of how their life stories and their memories about the local culture may unlock the understanding of time notion in mathematics. The production of the given cultural calendar by the students allowed the use of cognitive skills which made them comprehend their sociocultural realities, associated with the validation of school knowledge to understand the mathematical reality. It is noticeable that their difficult in comprehending this dynamic when seen through the logic of the traditional conception of measuring hours, minutes and seconds. Moreover, when incited to use practical examples of the city cultural life, the students were able to correlate cultural practices to the worked concept, demonstrating comprehension capacity and logical understanding regarding the theme.