Abstract

SILVA, João Alberto da. Signification models constructed by adults in addition and subtraction problems. Ciênc. cogn. [online]. 2009, vol.14, n.2, pp.12-34. ISSN 1806-5821.

The Genetic Epistemology studies are able to answer most part of the problems related to knowledge. We are for the importance of meaning attribution to contents as one of the determinating factors of the intelligence organization process. Our hypothesis is that the thought organizes the signification models based on the schemes and the significant implications viable. In Higher Education, for example, many of the university student's problems turn to elementary contents, which should have been learned in Basic Education. Taking it into consideration, we did an experiment to verify the significations build up by adult subjects about the elementary arithmetical operations. The methodological reference is the Clinical Method practiced by Geneva School. It was possible to notice a variety in the adults behaviors when facing the problem, in a way that their performance were highly influenced by the complexity and novelty levels of the task proposed. At the end, we concluded that the adult thought presents a powerful structure which unfolds itself in greater mobility and reasoning agility. Nevertheless, the contents keep on resisting the subject appropriation and put in evidence the active role of the object in the interaction processes. The learning based on algorithms or automatic processes strict the adult knowledge, getting started models incapable of significating the problems involved

Keywords : signification models; genetic epistemology; mathematical education; intelligence psychology.

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