Analysis of the difficulties of 3rd year high school students in problem-solving

Abstract

The objective of this study was to analyze the difficulties that 3rd-year high school students face when solving mathematical problems involving content related to the thematic axis "numbers," as proposed by the Brazilian National Common Curricular Base (BNCC). Focusing on understanding at which stages of the problem-solving process (representation, planning, execution, or monitoring) the errors are concentrated, we applied a worksheet composed of five mathematical situations to a class of 17 students from a public school in the municipality of Paranavaí. Data analysis revealed difficulties in the stages of representation (misinterpretation of the problem statement and difficulties regarding the meaning of words), planning (in devising the strategy to be used for solving), and problem execution (recognizing that zero is an even number and procedural errors related to basic operations), with the highest frequency of errors occurring in the representation stage. We conclude that the difficulties identified in this study are concerning, since the participants, even in the 3rd year of high school, demonstrated poorly developed mathematical concepts and procedures.