Categories of argumentation in teaching of operations with integers

Abstract

In mathematics teaching, Justificative Argumentation can be considered an alternative to overcome the recurrent binomial memorization/repetition present in classes. From this, we present the results of a survey carried out with teachers of basic education, which aimed to identify the categories of arguments used in the teaching of fundamental operations with integers. The research can be identified as qualitative, with exploratory and descriptive characteristics, and, due to the context of social isolation imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, we were limited to four participants. The data collection instruments were the application of a questionnaire and the realization of semi-structured interviews, individually and remotely, with teachers from the public school system and working at the Elementary School level. From the analysis of the data collected, according to the technique of Content Analysis, the results showed two different scenarios in the face of the operations. For addition and subtraction, we observed that the main focus is on the justificative argumentation, through the use of contextualized situations to signify such operations, while in the multiplication, there is an inversion in this posture, in which the concentration resides in the explanative argumentation, attested by the direct recurrence to the rules and the absence of a justification for the procedures.