A prática da argumentação como método de ensino: o caso dos conceitos de área e perímetro de figuras planas

Abstract

This research treats the practice of the argumentation as teaching method, focusing the concepts of area perimeter of plane figures. Studies in national and international levels have already broached the subject, many times using the practice of the argumentation as method, not proposing, however, ways that demonstrate the functionality of that method. So this work answers the following question: in what measure the practice of the argumentation can present itself as method that contributes to the comprehension of concepts in mathematics taking as reference the case of the area and the perimeter of plane figures? To answer our question, we propose a didactic sequence modeled and analyzed with basis in the phases that compose the argumentative process, according to Toulmin (1996). The methodology of the study have been supported in Didactic Engineering purposes, the intervention have been effectuated with pupils at the fifth grade in Ensino Fundamental (students aged 10-11), using two argumentative institutions: the classroom and the informatics laboratory where we used the Geogebra software. The theoretical foundation have been based in speculative reflections by Toulmin (1996), in argumentative classification by Pedemonte (2002) and Cabassut (2005) and in the idea of argumentative convergence by Perelman and Olbrechts-Tyteca (2005). The analysis of the activities have evidenced that the practice of the argumentation contribute to the comprehension of the concepts of area and perimeter of plane figures, habilitating this practice as teaching method. The argumentative competences acquired by the pupils through the interactions with their classmates and the researchers about the subject allowed them have more autonomy to communicate and defend their ideas, respecting the opinion of the other classmates during the discussions, pay attention to the functionality and the possible validity of their argument, besides to learn specific symbols and language of mathematics