Solving mathematical problems in the kitchen

Abstract

The study of mathematics has been favored by an innovation in methods and approaches explored in learning environments created in schools, based on alternatives involving dynamic activities and other teaching materials. In that regard, this work aimed to develop a teaching activity through the joining solving mathematical problems with cooking, in the Residency Program Pedagogical of the Federal University of Catalão, together with the Supervised Internship curriculum. The research had a qualitative approach and exploratory and sought to investigate how to work on problem-solving strategies along with cooking, specifically in the confectionery sector. The field research was carried out in the first half of 2023 with high school students from a full-time state school in Catalão-GO, who participated in an elective course. The proposed activity consisted of a problem situation involving the recipe for brownie and had the objective of calculating the cost of ingredients. It was possible to notice that the interaction and sharing of knowledge was significant because, in addition to favoring the application of problem-solving strategies, under the mediation of teachers, enabled students could also be more proactive.