A álgebra nos anos iniciais do ensino fundamental em livros didáticos do PNLD 2019

Abstract

The BNCC introduced Algebra into the school mathematics curriculum in the early years of Elementary School, a novelty in relation to the PCN. NCTM since the 1980s has emphasized research on the teaching and learning of Algebra and consolidated the Early Algebra movement in the early 2000s. Early Algebra developed a series of research on the development of algebraic thinking in children from the early years of schooling. At different times in history, it was proposed to change Mathematics Education, almost never successfully. In this new change to the Mathematics curricular program, the subject of this research is how Algebra is being included in the didactic books for the initial years. Therefore, the objective of this study was to understand how Algebra was included in didactic books in the first years of Elementary School, what were the influences, possibilities, and limitations. The studies by Blanton and Kaput (2005) showed the possibility of Algebra being worked on as Generalized Arithmetic and as Functional Thinking. Before arriving at the current didactic books that present Algebra in the early years, historiographical research was carried out on works that introduced the study of this area of Mathematics in Brazilian history and in some countries that maintain some level of relationship. This qualitative research with a descriptive-analytical nature and a deductive approach, used documentary research as its data collection method, using Content Analysis for data processing and analysis. The way in which Algebra appeared in didactics book collections for the initial years of elementary school was verified by analyzing the activities of didactic books intended for the 1st year of Elementary School in 11 collections approved by the PNLD in 2019. The predominance of Algebra was observed as Functional Thinking, with an emphasis on working with figural, numerical and numerical-figural patterns. BNCC presents Algebra in the early years of Elementary School influenced by the NCTM and with a technical trend, limiting the work in didactic books for the first years.