O Ensino de Paridade na via Resolução de Problemas Hands-on: Passeio do Cavalo no Tabuleiro de Xadrez

Abstract

This research aimed to discuss, through an experience report, Problem Solving combined with Practice, based on the problem entitled Knight's walk on the chessboard, with a focus on teaching parity. Thirty-six students from the 8th and 9th grades of Elementary School participated, working in groups using a chessboard (5x5) and a knight piece from the game itself. The data collected from the field diary were analyzed qualitatively. The activity was conducted with teacher mediation, without ready-made answers, encouraging investigation, the formulation of hypotheses and collaborative work. The main results indicate that the proposal promoted engagement, appreciation of prior knowledge and significant construction of new concepts. The reduced version of the chessboard allowed greater autonomy in exploring the knight's path, while the secondary problems favored the contextualized understanding of parity. In this sense, Problem Solving combined with Practice reveals itself as an interesting path for new research.