Problem Solving from The Man Who Calculated

Abstract

This article describes the analyses of the mathematical knowledge mobilized in the mathematics teaching-learning process through problem solving based on the book The Man Who Counted, authored by Malba Tahan. This inquiry-based qualitative research is supported by the theoretical assumptions of problem solving as a teaching methodology. The investigation was developed in a public school in Benevides (PA), with students of the 8th grade of elementary school, during the Supervised Practicum. The analyses were carried out from the registers of the resolution of two problems taken from Malba Tahan's book, the case of the 21 casks and the four fours. The research pointed out in its results that working with problem solving requires a new attitude from the teacher and the students. It made it possible to reflect on problem solving as a tool for mathematical investigation.