Pensamento computacional como estratégia pedagógica: o (re)ensino das quatro operações básicas no ensino fundamental 2

Abstract

This dissertation aims to investigate how Computational Thinking can contribute to 9th-grade students’ understanding of the four basic arithmetic operations in Middle School. The study was conducted in two intact classes using a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design (QUAN → QUAL). Initially, a diagnostic assessment was administered to identify difficulties related to addition, subtraction, multiplication, and especially division, as well as to measure students’ mathematics anxiety. Next, a four-lesson instructional sequence was developed and implemented, involving decomposition, flowcharts, pseudocode, and strategies for externalizing reasoning, supported by a web application (Hisab) for activities, assessment, and learning support. Descriptive quantitative analysis indicated relevant performance gains and a reduction in recurrent errors, along with a reduction in students’ self-reported levels of mathematics anxiety. Qualitative analysis revealed changes in the strategies used, greater explicitness of mathematical thinking, and improved plausibility checking. It was also observed that factors such as student engagement, organization, and responsibility directly influenced the outcomes of the intervention. The study concludes that Computational Thinking favors conceptual learning of basic operations and contributes to intellectual autonomy by making problem-solving processes visible. Such a proposal is, therefore, adaptable to other Middle School grades and to High School.