Abstract

DIAZ, Juan José  and  BERMEJO, Vicente. Level of abstraction of arithmetic problems in urban and rural students. Relime [online]. 2007, vol.10, n.3, pp.335-364. ISSN 2007-6819.

This study analyzes the incidence of the level of abstraction in the resolution of problems of addition and subtraction in urban and rural students. The sample was made up of 192 students from first to fourth grade of primary education; 50% came from a Mexican rural environment and the remaining 50% from a Mexican urban environment. Empirical tasks consisted in resolving arithmetical problems with objects, drawings, algorithms and verbally. The results show that the presence of objects or drawings improves performance in first and second grade students, and lowers performance in third grade students. It should also be pointed out that rural students obtained their best results in verbal problems. Modeling strategies are used in similar ways in all the courses in the rural environment, while in an urban setting they are primarily used in first and second grades. Rural students make use of counting strategies, and urban students lean more toward using numerical facts. Finally, some educative applications will be suggested from the results of the study.

Keywords : Context; strategies; levels of abstraction; mathematical problems.

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