The algebraic thinking explicit in the BNCC under analysis

Abstract

This article presents a critical-reflexive analysis of algebraic thinking as presented in the BNCC - Base Nacional Comum Curricular (National Common Curriculum Base) text. For this aim, the paper questions the perspective on algebraic thinking that guided the conception of the document. In order to address this inquiry, an interpretative (hermeneutic) reading of the document was conducted, highlighting significant passages for the research objective. A critical reading, grounded in a phenomenological approach, was then performed. The BNCC revealed a technicist emphasis, particularly focusing on the need for solving practical problems at the expense of what is mentioned and expressible through mathematical concepts. The study uncovered that in the analyzed text, algebraic thinking, although not explicitly defined, is often associated with the ideas of algorithms and computational thinking. Based on this study, the text provides examples of approaches to algebraic topics that could support meaningful pedagogical practices from multiple perspectives on the objects of study. These approaches could present Mathematics more as a cultural product expressed through a specific language than as an everyday tool.