Contingency Analysis and Pathfinder Associative Networks: tools for a qualitative study of the difficulties in the teaching of Algebra

Abstract

In the present work a research is presented whose objective was to know the main difficulties in the teaching and learning of the Algebra that manifest to have a group of 83 teachers of Mathematics in Honduras. These teachers were asked to write a story in which they described their teaching experience in learning Mathematics in general and in Algebra in particular. The data were analyzed with the qualitative analysis software webQDA, which allowed identifying the main categories of analysis. Using the Contingency Analysis technique and the GOLUCA program, used in knowledge representation studies, a graphical presentation of the data was obtained as a Pathfinder Associative Network. The results highlight the difficulties in teaching-learning that indicate in their students, the relationship with personal factors and the relationship with the teaching methods used. We believe that this research methodology can provide data with minimal intervention by the researcher, and can be applied to other topics related to teaching in different areas and educational levels.