Los problemas de Matemáticas en el curriculum de EGB (Ciclo medio) : un estudio cuantitativo/descriptivo desde el punto de vista de su potencial heurístico

Abstract

Mathematical problems in the curriculum for children aged 8-11 are analyzed from different points of view related to the problem solving process. The aim of this analysis is to obtain information to enable us to improve both the curriculum and the training of teachers. All the problems in the textbooks of four series have been examined. Their distribution over courses, topics and types (the solving of which implies and increasing degree of creativity: «recognition exercicies», «algorithmic exercices», «application problems», «open -search problems» and «problem situations») have been studied. Furthermore, the standard solution to every problem has been carried out, to enable us to identify the heuristic tools implicitly contained and to analyze their distributions over courses and topics. The results lead us to conclude that the currimulum does not stimulate creative problem solving. This is especially evident in the almost complete lack of problem situations (percentages between 0.2 and 4.05), the low percentage of open -search problems and the high percentage of recognition exercices. Some subjects such as «sets and retations» and «plane shapes)) when examined in detail prove to be especially illustrative of the crucial role which the philosophy behind the currículum has in causing such poor results. The percentage of problems in the curriculum containing heuristic tools is low in almost every course (around 130/o). With regard to the heuristic tools identified (special case)), «subgoals», «examining possibilities», «draw a picture or a diagram)) and «trial and error») the hegemony of «subgoals» (nearly 50%) shows how and when problem solving heuristics could be achieved.