Entre formas e desafios: o uso do tangram no ensino de matemática do ensino fundamental

This article presents a study conducted within the context of the Institutional Scholarship Program for Teaching Initiation (Programa Institucional de Bolsa de Iniciação à Docência – PIBID), involving third-grade students in the early years of Elementary Education at a public school in the city of Montes Claros, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The study aimed to investigate the contributions of Tangram to the learning of geometric concepts, the development of logical-mathematical reasoning, and the enhancement of students’ critical thinking. Adopting a qualitative research approach, the pedagogical intervention was structured as a teaching sequence consisting of four sessions, encompassing free exploration of Tangram pieces, assembling figures from silhouettes, shape decomposition challenges, and the creation of narratives based on the figures produced. Data were collected through participant observation, field notes, photographic records of students’ productions, and group discussions, and subsequently analyzed using an interpretative qualitative approach. The findings indicate a substantial increase in students’ engagement, as well as advances in the understanding of geometric concepts, the development of spatial reasoning, and the ability to formulate mathematical arguments. It is concluded that the Tangram, as a playful and manipulative instructional resource, promotes more meaningful and critical mathematics learning in the early years of Elementary Education, particularly when integrated into pedagogical practices that are intentionally planned and effectively mediated by the teacher.