Abstract

MELO, Júlio César Resende  and  MATIAS, Neyfsom Carlos Fernandes. Learning Math: A Fairy Tale or a Horror Story?. Gerais, Rev. Interinst. Psicol. [online]. 2022, vol.15, n.3, e18318.  Epub Jan 20, 2025. ISSN 1983-8220.  https://doi.org/10.36298/gerais202215e18318.

This article reports on the findings of a study that aimed to investigate the thoughts of elementary and middle school students in relation to Mathematics, their conceptions about this subject and how they change over time. Their conceptions were investigated using the Brainstorming technique. In total, 129 public school students participated in the study. They were grouped by school grade—3rd, 6th, 7th and 9th grades. Comparisons among groups were made using the Chi-Square Test and showed significant differences. It was observed that students in more advanced grades (6th, 7th and 9th) attributed more negative values to the subject. This conclusion reinforces the importance of principals and teachers, along with pedagogues and psychologists, developing strategies to prevent aversion to Mathematics.

Keywords : Mathematical learning; Aversion to Mathematics; Attributions given to Mathematics; Brainstorming.

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