Computational Thinking in High School Mathematics: A Textbooks Analysis

Abstract

This work aims to analyze how nine collections of high school mathematics textbooks, approved by PNLD/2021, expose situations that require the construction and/or execution of algorithms in studying the concept of sequence. A qualitative approach was chosen, and the work followed these criteria: types of patterns, types of sequences, phases of a pattern, concepts/pillars of computational thinking, and representations used for the construction and/or execution of algorithms. When analyzing the collections, 21 situations were identified. Most address the numeric pattern, 11 address non-recursive sequences associated with the affine function, three explore the three pattern phases, 19 enable abstraction and construction and/or execution of the algorithm, nine enable pattern identification too, and none explore decomposition —still, 14 work on the algorithm in a flowchart/scheme; only ten request its construction. The conclusion is that teachers must use other resources or textbooks to develop the skills set out in the National Common Curricular Base.