Aurora Gallardo Cabello
José Luis Mejía Rodríguez
Gil Arturo Saavedra Mercado
Abstract: We analyze the cognitive processes of an elementary school student
in relation to informal ideas with integers. The study is grounded on two fundamental
theorical concepts: intertextuality and the senses of use of negatives. The
intuitive ideas about negative numbers from this student suggest a possible
teaching trajectory for the learning of integers, pointing to an earlier introduction
of this concept. In addition, we used semiotic analysis to observe the student’s
perspective in solving problems. We discuss historical conflicts of the mathematicians
in the acceptance of negative numbers. This work has historical character
and allows the deep understanding of a student with low academic performance,
in his adherence to natural numbers, with respect to integers. We discuss how
the student exhibits only the sense of the subtractive, that is to say the first level
of acceptance of the negative number.
Keywords: Integers, intertextuality, history of negative numbers, elementary school,
semiotics.
DOI: 10.24844/EM2902.03