9th grade students' understanding of Linear Equation problem-solving in a municipal public school in Pernambuco

Abstract

This article presents a segment of a qualitative study conducted with 20 ninth-grade students from a public municipal school in Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. The study aimed to investigate, through a semi-structured interview, how students understand problems involving first-degree equations. The data revealed that students have difficulty defining what a first-degree equation is, often associating it only with numerical operations involving the variable “x.” Most of the examples provided were simple, and some students confused equations with algebraic expressions or systems of equations. Regarding problem-solving, few students were able to formulate contextualized situations, indicating a still limited understanding of algebraic language and its applications. Although teachers frequently propose problem-based activities, many students associate these tasks with feelings of fear, insecurity, and frustration. However, positive perceptions also emerged, such as a sense of challenge and future usefulness. The analysis highlights the need to reflect on how problems are addressed in the classroom, emphasizing not only practice but also the development of students’ autonomy, confidence, and conceptual understanding.