Mise en application de l’étayage et acquisition de la conservation des volumes lors des opérations de mathématiques : cas de 5 enfants de 12 à 14 ans

Abstract

The study concerns the Ŗapplication of scaffolding and acquisition of the conservation of volumes during mathematics operations: case of five (5) children aged 12 to 14 years old. « The observation is based on the fact that more than 64% of students experience great difficulty in carrying out mathematical operations linked to numbers and numerations, measurement and magnitude, as well as geometry and space operations after 6 years of schooling; the theory of scaffolding (Brunner, 1975), makes it possible to grasp the development of skills and the autonomy of the learner through a set of interventions and guidance from an adult, aiming to enable a student to acquire the skills necessary to resolve a problem situation. In this sense, certain children at the formal operations stage (12 to 14 years old) show an inability to solve volume conservation operations, but according to Piaget (1896) these operations are supposed to be acquired at the concrete operations stage (7 to 11 years old). ); stage below their developmental stage. The problem posed by the study is that of acquiring the conservation of volumes during mathematical operations in children aged 12 to 14. The research question is: Ŗhow is scaffolding applied in situation of the acquisition of conservation of volumes during mathematical operations in children at the formal operations stageŗ. From this question arises the following hypothesis: Ŗthe application of scaffolding through the support of the learner by the expert, the fragmentation of activities and parental guidance facilitates the acquisition of the conservation of volumes during of mathematical operations in children at the formal operations stage. » Relying on the clinical method, the use of semi-structured interviews through the interview guide, the observation grid allowed us to collect data from five (5) parents of children met at the public school of the Atemengue plateau (Yaoundé), and with the expert (teacher) of these children. The analysis of the thematic content and the observation grid report the results according to which some of these parents (Mrs. other parents (Mrs. W and Mr. V) apply scaffolding at a very low level; as for the teacher, the application of scaffolding is observed in certain modalities (provision of information and advice during the teaching and learning process), but not in others (division of activities into small tasks).