A matemática financeira na educação de jovens e adultos

Abstract

The object of analysis of this research was Financial Mathematics (MF) in Youth and Adult Education (EJA). Our central research question is to know: What are the contributions of learning Financial Mathematics and its records to individual and family financial planning of Youth and Adult Education students. To achieve the general objective, we work with the following specific objectives of diagnosing the prior knowledge that students have about MF, verifying the importance that students attribute to learning MF, identifying the use that students make of MF concepts, verifying how students prepare their learning records in the spreadsheets presented, check the use of MF learning in the preparation of the Individual and Family Financial Planning and Administration Guide (GPAFIF) and identify whether students attribute the MF learning to contributions in their daily lives. The methodological choices followed the principles of the qualitative approach to interpretative data analysis, focusing on the individual and their interaction with the sociocultural environment. The research took place in three stages, the first was composed of bibliographical and documentary research, the second was through teaching practice in the classroom, in which we gradually structured our Educational Product, interweaving reflections on everyday financial decisions with fundamental mathematical concepts, such as positional decimal system, rule of three, percentage calculation, simple and compound interest, aiming to help students overcome the difficulties that arise, and provide an understanding of how to apply this knowledge in decision-making in their daily lives, and the third stage comprised finishing with the analysis of the collected data. The research took place in a State School in the city of Sinop/MT for 20 class hours in May 2023, and the participants were 12 students from an EJA class in the second segment of Elementary School. Data was produced by applying a pre-test, monitoring student records during activities, the researcher's field notebook and questionnaires. For teaching practice, we use the dialogic methodology advocated by Paulo Freire, because according to him, it consists of promoting the encounter between subjects and knowledge, with the principle of valuing student knowledge and exchanging information between teachers and students. Finally, we believe that our objective of showing students the applicability of MF in their lives was achieved, as we observed advances in the reorganization of basic mathematical knowledge and the construction of new knowledge, as well as, through various discussions and analyses, We also noticed a development in the critical thinking of those involved, giving meaning to what is learned at school and thus fulfilling its social function, which is to stimulate critical thinking and develop students' intellectual autonomy. At the end of the research, we came to the conclusion that the majority of students began to realize the relevance of MF in decision-making, as well as showing an interest in knowing more and using mathematical knowledge in their daily decisions.