A aritmética em concursos militares e olimpíadas de matemática: uma desarmonização com os livros didáticos do ensino fundamental e uma proposta para melhoria do ensino

Abstract

The fundamental level selection exams for admission to military schools and the Brazilian mathematics olympiads approach arithmetic questions quite frequently. Certain problems are solved in line with what is learned in the classroom in Elementary School II; however, the vast majority of these problems stand in the way they have traditionally taught. As for example, we can highlight the issues that involve congruence theory that is a fascinating tool for students and facilitator in solving certain exercises, presenting brief and interesting solutions. This research was carried out with a group of students from the Military College of Juiz de Fora (CMJF). During the meetings, the following chronology was obeyed: presentation of a problem extracted from military or Olympic competitions, to attempt to solve the students; discussion of possible solutions presented; presentation of the topic by the teacher. This presentation was made in the form of a class, with the purpose of explaining to the student the subject of the question, trying to focus in a different way from that approached in the textbooks, that when he approaches it; solving the problem by the students, after the teacher’s lecture; presentation of an additional problem to ratify the learning or presentation of a new interpretation of the content; approach of the subject in textbooks and conclusion. We understand that the exploration of these problems must be taken to the daily routine of the student when studying the arithmetic, for bringing the reality of the competitions and Olympiads that some students will encounter at some point in their school career. In addition, we realized the need, throughout the research, to implement some areas of arithmetic in the curriculum of Elementary School II.