Abstract

FAVERO, Maria Helena. Adult cognitive development and initial schooling: problem solving and operations notation. Temas psicol. [online]. 1999, vol.7, n.1, pp.79-88. ISSN 1413-389X.

Teachers usually complain about the difficulty faced by adults in literacy classes, mainly related to mathematics. The present work, reports two studies in literacy classes from public schools in Distrito Federal (Fundação Educacional do Distrito Federal). In the first study, 15 problems with three terms, involving deductive reasoning were used with 148 adults. It was verified that the average of scores does not show a relevant difference, regarding the following three variables: the gender of the researcher, the gender of the subject, and the type of instruction given. The most frequent errors have involved the comparison of negative superiority, the comparison of positive inferiority, and the comparison of positive superiority. The interviews revealed that the subjects became anxious, but such anxiety is not related to the received instruction were revealed. Also, the subjects' negative expectation towards their own cognitive capability. In the second study, 10 adults responded to oral and written operations. The error analysis has pointed out mistakes that are originated by standardized resolution and misunderstanding of the logic of the numerical system. The role of regular education, the acquisition of the numerical system and cognitive development, the mediation between both processes and the psychological intervention are discussed.

Keywords : adult cognitive development; schooling; numerical notation.

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