Problems with students’ comprehension of measurement: reasons for the formation of the Punctual Paradigm

Abstract

The ambit of reflection of this work is linked to the measurement process in the school. Students' analyses show that the measurement process is a subject of difficult understanding for them. When confronted with the need of to accomplish or to analyze measures, these subjects manifest several antagonistic representations to the scientific vision. We will see that the literature in scientific education gathers the different representations about measurement in denominated Punctual Paradigm. However, only two studies try to give an interpretation for the representations, and only one of them mention it in passage, since its center of attention is turned to make explicit the representations. In the attempt of giving an explanation for the representations of the subjects, these two studies allows to understand the sources that feed and that are responsible for the origin of the Punctual Paradigm. Concentrated in that I aim, this article tries to join to the existent interpretations an alternative and complementary explanation. With that, we intended to collaborate for the deepening and larger intelligibility of that study object.