EXPLORING PRIME NUMBERS
Prime Numbers. Teaching Mathematics. Almanac. Software.
The main objective of the research described here was to develop a meaningful, engaging and playful teaching material on the topic of “prime numbers”. The material, intended for students in Basic Education, was developed based on theoretical and practical aspects present in the literature in the area. The research methodology adopted initially consisted of an exploratory bibliographic review, with the objective of gathering the theoretical framework necessary for the development of the proposed material. With the theoretical framework in hand, the almanac “Leãozito: The Mysteries of Prime Numbers” was created. In addition, a software (for Windows) capable of performing primality tests using the Sieve of Eratosthenes and Brute Force methods was designed and implemented in the C/C++ programming language. The software, called Primus, is intended to provide real-time feedback to students and teachers about the primality of numbers of interest. The software is also capable of generating lists of prime numbers and composite numbers. Once the almanac was in hand, it was used in 7 high school classrooms at the São Vicente de Paula State School in Sinop, Mato Grosso. The impressions of the 143 participating students about the material were collected through an evaluation questionnaire. The data were analyzed from a qualitative point of view, according to the content analysis recommended by Bardin (2016), and from a quantitative point of view, using Descriptive and Inferential Statistics. The analyses were effective in validating the material, given its acceptance. It can be inferred from the research that the implementation of innovative methodologies can significantly improve student engagement and their understanding of the topic.