Aspects of attitudes towards mathematics in modeling activities: Usefulness, interest, and social roles of mathematics

Aldo Peres Campos Lopes

doi:10.29333/iejme/12394

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Aldo Peres Campos Lopes ¹ ² ^*

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¹ Universidade Federal de Itajubá–UNIFEI, Itabira–MG, BRAZIL² Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto–UFOP, Ouro Preto–State of Minas Gerais, BRAZIL^* Corresponding Author

Abstract

This study addresses three aspects of the attitude towards mathematics: usefulness, interest, and recognition of the social roles of mathematics. Mathematical modeling activities were developed and conducted with engineering students. We analyzed how the attitude towards mathematics is manifested in this context and what contribution can be to a better understanding of the aspects of this attitude. We note that interest is manifested in a personal and objective way and that there is a recognition of the usefulness of basic mathematics in everyday life and in other contexts to the detriment of higher education mathematics. In addition, modeling proved to be a good opportunity to recognize the social roles of mathematics, something that did not occur individually. We conclude that modeling is pointed out as a means for a manifestation of a good attitude towards mathematics.

Keywords

attitudes towards mathematics
interest
usefulness
roles of mathematics in society
modeling

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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Research Article

INT ELECT J MATH ED, 2022, Volume 17, Issue 4, Article No: em0711

https://doi.org/10.29333/iejme/12394

Publication date: 23 Aug 2022

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APA

Lopes, A. P. C. (2022). Aspects of attitudes towards mathematics in modeling activities: Usefulness, interest, and social roles of mathematics. International Electronic Journal of Mathematics Education, 17(4), em0711. https://doi.org/10.29333/iejme/12394

Vancouver

Lopes APC. Aspects of attitudes towards mathematics in modeling activities: Usefulness, interest, and social roles of mathematics. INT ELECT J MATH ED. 2022;17(4):em0711. https://doi.org/10.29333/iejme/12394

AMA

Lopes APC. Aspects of attitudes towards mathematics in modeling activities: Usefulness, interest, and social roles of mathematics. INT ELECT J MATH ED. 2022;17(4), em0711. https://doi.org/10.29333/iejme/12394

Chicago

Lopes, Aldo Peres Campos. "Aspects of attitudes towards mathematics in modeling activities: Usefulness, interest, and social roles of mathematics". International Electronic Journal of Mathematics Education 2022 17 no. 4 (2022): em0711. https://doi.org/10.29333/iejme/12394

Harvard

Lopes, A. P. C. (2022). Aspects of attitudes towards mathematics in modeling activities: Usefulness, interest, and social roles of mathematics. International Electronic Journal of Mathematics Education, 17(4), em0711. https://doi.org/10.29333/iejme/12394

MLA

Lopes, Aldo Peres Campos "Aspects of attitudes towards mathematics in modeling activities: Usefulness, interest, and social roles of mathematics". International Electronic Journal of Mathematics Education, vol. 17, no. 4, 2022, em0711. https://doi.org/10.29333/iejme/12394