Resumen

ALMEIDA, Ana Maria Baptista  y  ALMEIDA, Leandro S.. Aprendizagem da matemática: Proposta de avaliação de dificuldades específicas na adição e subtracção no 1.º Ciclo do Ensino Básico . Aná. Psicológica [online]. 1998, vol.16, n.2, pp.301-319. ISSN 0870-8231.

This paper presents the results of a study concerning addition and subtraction at the first level of Elementary School. The study takes the addition and subtraction skills evaluated by an instrument prepared in a piagetian and cognitive learning framework. The sample was formed by 54 children from 7 to 10 years old (2nd and 4th school grades), from public and private schools surround Porto. The test for Math skills evaluation is organized in two levels of difficulty in accord with children’s school grades. Both levels include several parts, for example, counting, calculation or problem-solving. The results confirm some theoretical and empirical data concerning Math instruction and learning. If young children use more manipulative and concrete material strategies, the oldest ones implement more mental strategies. Also, if young children are induced by the semantic characteristics of text in the problem-solving items, the oldest are more independent of these semantic particularities, and they prefer the formal procedures (classroom instruction). Finally, the results suggest that this assessment test can be used to identify the children’s knowledge and strategies to solve addition and subtraction tasks, what is important to help teachers in order the implementation of individual teaching techniques in this domain.

Palabras clave : Addition and subtraction; counting and calculation; math instruction and learning.

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