O ensino de potências e suas propriedades: um enfoque à luz das neurociências

Abstract

This research aims to explain, through neuroscience, the importance of the retention of content for learning. Studies on physiology and the function of the brain in cognitive terms made by Kumon (1995), Moura (1996), Kawashima (2002), Santos (2004), Santos and Bueno (2004), Bueno and Oliveira (2004), Bertolozzi (2004 ) Tabacow (2006), Iziquierdo (2006, 2007), Mora (2007), Fiore (2008), Andrade, Cardoso and Sabbatini (2008), Gomez and Terán (2009), Bravo (2010), as well as studies of Jean Piaget’s Psycho-Genetic Theory developed by Seber (1997) Ferreiro (2001) and Chiarottino (2002) and also the study on meaningful learning by Ausubel described by Moreira (1999) helped to substantiate the pedagogical practice developed in 2010 in Mathematics classes of 8th graders at the Holy Family College, located in Ponta Grossa, Paraná. The field research, which was exploratory nature, happened during the Mathematics classes in which the subject of ‘powers and their properties’ was discussed through the use of a comic book entitled "Cool Mathematics" developed by us within the principles of neuroscience. The data collected during the field survey reveal that: a) the student better understands content after the process of retention, b) memorization and the internalization of knowledge in the cognitive structures of students happens when they are allowed time to review the subject with the use of different methodologies. Although retention of content and memorization are questionable aspects in the academic and teaching fields - considered outdated and mechanistic - recent neuroscientific studies which are presented in this work present alternatives to this thinking through tests performed on the human brain using MRIF (Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) and PET (Positron Emission Tomography). This study does not rule out under any circumstances, the contributions of the various pedagogical theories to lead students to learning. However, we emphasize that it is important to take into account recent studies on the human brain, the seat of thought and learning, at the time that the child or young person receives information and transforms it into produced knowledge.