Uma reflexão sobre a matemática financeira para o ensino médio - juros simples e compostos

Abstract

Based on my teaching experience, it was possible to observe that high school students face difficulties regarding certain concepts and operations related to Financial Mathematics, such as percentage, simple interest, and compound interest. In general, the teaching of Financial Mathematics lacks a connection with the students' reality. Given this scenario, this qualitative and literature-based study aimed to answer the following question: Are there teaching proposals focused on everyday situations and grounded in Freirean pedagogy that contribute to high school students' understanding of and increased interest in the basic concepts of Financial Mathematics? The main objective was to examine how scientific research presents Financial Mathematics geared toward high school education. To this end, a literature review was conducted in the Profmat and Capes dissertation databases, covering the period from 2021 to 2025. It was noted that some works briefly mention Paulo Freire, and only a single study related Freire to conscious consumption—the proposal of this study; however, that research was applied to high school teachers, differing from the present work. The analysis of the selected studies, combined with the theoretical framework underlying this research, contributed to the development of a teaching proposal rooted in a critical perception, aimed at educating citizens who are conscious of balanced consumption and at overcoming learning difficulties in the subject. Thus, a suggested didactic sequence was structured to depict basic aspects of Financial Mathematics in everyday situations, aiming to promote meaningful learning based on Freirean pedagogy