I explain my problem to you: a survey on argumentative skills in solving mathematical problems

Abstract

In recent years, several researchers have deeply analyzed the argumentative skills applied to students’ problem solving processes since their last years of kindergarten. The article presents a survey carried out in a third-grade class of a primary school in Imola (near Bologna) during the 2018/2019 school year. It is focused on the analysis of the argumentation during the resolution of mathematical problems. We specifically refer to problem solving as an approach to the resolution of three math problems taking as methodological reference the Progetto ArAl and the Rally Matematico Transalpino. They both show the importance of this approach within mathematical education, with a particular attention to the specific language of the discipline and the use of argumentation to develop and recognize emotions and metacognitive processes through reasoning and reflection.