PLAYFUL STRATEGY THROUGH ORIGAMI: FOLDING PAPERS, UNFOLDING LEARNING IN GEOMETRY

Abstract

Using origami as a strategy to consolidate knowledge and foster student learning within the geometry curriculum can be an excellent pedagogical practice. This study aimed to investigate how a playful approach, specifically through origami construction, could enhance the geometry learning process for 9th-grade students. To this end, a field study was conducted at the Maria do Socorro Andrade Moura Municipal Quilombola School in Barreirinhas, Amazonas. Semi-structured questionnaires administered to a group of 14 ninth-grade students served as the research instrument. Overall, the use of origami as a pedagogical resource was found to have a positive impact on learning; it enabled most students to connect the paper-folding activities to concepts such as affine functions and special products, thereby making the learning experience more meaningful. The study concludes that the use of origami as a pedagogical strategy helps transform students' relationship with mathematics, demonstrating that the subject matter/geometry can be learned in a practical and dynamic way and that the knowledge acquired is useful and applicable in various life contexts. Thus, incorporating creative and contextualized methodologies into pedagogical practices is essential for enhancing the teaching-learning process, thereby strengthening students' intellectual autonomy, critical thinking, and motivation.