Abstract:

This article presents an investigation using Comic Books (CB) for teaching and learning Mathematics in the 1st Cycle of Basic Education (CBE).

CB have a strong motivational component for the students. Besides, it also has several advantages for teaching, such as, promoting the attention of the students and developing skills to interpretate mathematical texts. Working with an image and a written text message, it will enhance and improve the comprehension of the problematic situation by the students, promoting their reasoning skills and developing critical knowledge. Colors, size and type of letter are elements that increase the motivational and leisure value of this tool.

CB as a learning tool in the classroom, can be used as a starting point to several activities in the class, using mathematical concepts and increasing the interest of the students.

The function CB is not only of leisure and entertaining, but also, the pedagogy point of view, which is acknowledged through its communication potential. It also allows to interact with the students in a more personal, emotional, and intellectual level, resulting in a better connection with the teaching of mathematics in the classroom.

CB should be viewed as a tool that can be used in a way to complement all the resources that teachers have, in a way to stimulate classes and help in problem solving.

In this study it will be analyzed the advantages of using CB by teachers od 1st CBE to teach mathematics, in particular:
(i) the opinion of 1st CBE teachers regarding the use of CB to approach problematic situations;
(ii) Level of importance assigned to CB in mathematical class;
(iii) Level of frequency that the teacher use CB.

In this study it was used a quantitative methodology, by making inquiries to 32 teachers of several schools from the 1st CBE. The data analysis showed that the teachers use CB with a low level of frequency as an educational tool, although they acklowledge the benefits to the students; they also admite the potencial of CB as a tool that will motivate the learning process of mathematics in the 1st CBE, contributing to help the interpretation of texts, in the developments of reasoning and in the resolution of problematic situations.

Finally, we can state that although most of the teachers give an high important level to the pedagogy potential of CB in mathematic classes, this tool is rarely used by the teachers in the learning process of mathematic by the 1st CBE students.

Keywords:

Mathematic, Comic Books, Students from 1st Cycle of Basic Education.