Dificultades alrededor de tareas algebraicas, ¿Existen diferencias de genero? Dificultades alrededor de tareas algebraicas, ¿Existen diferencias de genero?

Abstract

This article is a preview of the results derived from an investigation that seeks to determine the weaknesses and strengths that tenth grade students at a private educational institution exhibit when solving algebraic problems. A quantitative approach is adopted at the cross-sectional descriptive level. A non-probabilistic sample of size 40 students, with an average age of 15 years old is selected. A questionnaire composed by 15 items is applied to them, where daily or general interest situations are proposed, in which diverse semiotic registers of representation are articulated. Overall, a 54% error rate was found. As for the strengths, it is highlighted that at least three out of four students can correctly articulate between statements of daily situations with their respective two-dimensional graphical record where the variables Time vs. other variable such as Speed, Temperature or Length are related. Finally, difficulties were evidenced in situations associated with the application of factorial decomposition in the solution of equations and in the establishment of order relations between quantities expressed in different units of measure.