NÃmeros decimais: no que os saberes de adultos diferem dos de crianÃas?

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2006

RESUMO

The study compared adultsâ and childrenâs knowledge of decimal number. It examined the differences between adultsâ and childrenâs learning processes and how practical knowledge affects studentsâ performance. Several studies have researched decimal number because of its apparent complexity to learners, for example; Porto, 1995; Lerner, 1995; Irwin, 1995; Porto &Carvalho, 2000. Of the studies, only Porto &Carvalho, 2000, investigate adult studentsâ performance. 64 students - 32 adults and 32 children took part in the study, half of which had already studied decimals at school and the other half with only extra-curricular experiences. Students were first interviewed then answered 16 items test based on the Theory of Conceptual Fields, Vergnaud (1995). The test examined which meanings, symbolic representations, properties and contexts of decimal number were more easily understood by adults and by children. The results obtained reveal that there are many differences between adultsâ and childrenâs knowledge of decimal number. It was observed that adultsâ performance was statistically superior to childrenâs performance. Even adults that had not studied decimals at school, performed better than children that had studied decimals at school. It was also observed that for both adults and children, schooling had no significant effect on the usage of different forms of symbolic representation, on the understanding of different meanings given to decimals, on the knowledge of distinct properties of decimals or on applying understanding of decimals to different contexts. Concerning symbolic representations used in the solution of problems, no significant differences occurred between childrenâs and adultsâ performance whilst solving items orally or in writing. Concerning meanings given to decimals, children had difficulty understanding the meanings presented in the problems. Better performance was observed in adults when the meaning was a fractional measure than when the meaning was a decimal as a result of a division. Amongst children problems that involved conversion properties of decimals were more easily answered than those that involved comparison. Adults â with or without schooling on decimals â performed well both in problems inserted in monetary and in metric contexts. Children however, performed very poorly in metric contexts. In the initial interviews, children provided (almost exclusively), monetary contexts as examples of where decimal numbers could be found. The study shows that adults who have not received schooling on decimal number can solve problems with decimals almost as well as those that have received schooling. This appears to indicate how practical knowledge has influenced this conceptualisation. Also, since schooling received does not appear to facilitate participantsâ performance then the teaching of this subject needs revision, in order to promote significant learning amongst students. The results obtained show that it is necessary to redirect, pecifically on decimal numbers, processes of teaching to different age groups. The comparison of adultâs and childrenâs performances highlights the need for schools to treat students from distinct age groups differently. The study also indicates the necessity of raising studentsâ understanding before formal introduction to decimal number commences, in order to investigate the prior development of this numerical field in extracurricular areas

ASSUNTO(S)

adult levels of schooling elementary school saberes escolares decimal numbers extracurricular knowledge educacao eja ensino fundamental nÃmeros decimais saberes da prÃxis social

ACESSO AO ARTIGO

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