Abstract:

Writing is a recurring activity in mathematics classes. However, students' mathematical writing can take on very different natures, depending on teaching models. In traditional mathematics classes, students' written records are usually exercises, with a lot of symbolic language and with little appeal to divergent thinking. In mathematics classes based on problematic tasks, usually solved in pairs or small groups, students produce extensive written records, which involve symbolic writing, but also a wide use of the mother tongue, revealing divergent thinking.

By definition, problems place students in situations that surprise them, for which they have no immediate response. Some type of humor, namely the graphic based on incongruence situations, also puts students in unexpected situations, with problematic nature. This study seeks to understand how students at the end of primary school (10 to 12 years old) use written communication as a means of solving problems based on graphic humor about Mathematics. For this, 22 students solved mathematical tasks in a humorous context, producing written texts, which were submitted to content analysis. The preliminary results show that the humorous context favored the students' written communication and this improve problem solving, stimulating divergent thinking.

Keywords:

Mathematics, Communication, Language, Humor, Tasks.