Abstract

CALVO, Carlos Soneira; SALORIO, María José Souto  and  TOBAR, Ana Dorotea Tarrío. Different competencies in the conversion process from natural to algebraic language. Rev. Port. de Educação [online]. 2017, vol.30, n.2, pp.89-110. ISSN 0871-9187.  https://doi.org/10.21814/rpe.10096.

The use of different semiotic registers and the change of register are characteristics of the cognitive activity in mathematics, and the difficulties associated to these changes a source of incomprehension and learning difficulties. In the conversion process from the natural to the algebraic language, at least two types of cognitive skills are involved: to handle syntactic structures in natural language, and to mentally mobilize the mathematical concepts expressed in the text. In order to study the relevance of each skill, the associated difficulties and interrelationship, we designed a questionnaire, handed it out to a group of Engineering students, and analyzed the results by means of statistical hypothesis testing, from which we obtained conclusions applicable to teaching design. The results show differences depending on the so-called congruence of the semiotic register change, as well as on the verbal statement of syntactic complexity.

Keywords : Verbal Language; Algebraic Language; Conversion; Syntactic Complexity.

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