Análisis de la comprensión de magnitud de área en estudiantes de grado sexto con edades entre 11 y 12 años: un estudio de caso

Abstract

Abstract This research addresses a common issue in educational institutions: the frequent substitution of the area measurement process with formula-based calculations (Chamorro, 1998). This practice conflicts with the Basic Competency Standards set by the Ministry of National Education (MEN, 2006), which emphasize the development of area measurement skills throughout primary and secondary education. By neglecting the measurement process, students struggle to establish meaningful connections between involved elements, leading to semiotic conflicts in area measurement. To investigate this issue, this research aims to evaluate and describe sixth-grade students' mathematical knowledge about area measurement. It employs the Onto-Semiotic Approach (OSA) to analyze epistemic and cognitive configurations and the mathematical knowledge activated during problem-solving. This approach helps identify how students conceptualize and organize mathematical knowledge within a specific context and recognize the mental structures and processes they use to solve area measurement problems. The Area Measurement Questionnaire, along with clinical observation and semi-structured interviews (Camargo, 2021), provides valuable data for analysis. By examining these elements, we can describe the configurations of objects involved in area measurement, identify cognitive and epistemic configurations, and gain insights into students' mathematical knowledge.