The Role of Mathematical Financial Education in Understanding Debt in the Consumer Society

Abstract

Mathematics has always played a fundamental role in the development of humanity throughout history, being one of the essential pillars to support, among other things, household consumption. However, the stimulus to excessive consumption led to the depletion of financial resources, leading them to debt. We raise the following question: How can debt-related issues be discussed effectively in Mathematics classes? The purpose of this article is to promote a debate on issues related to debt in Mathematics teaching. This research is of a qualitative nature and is part of a master's thesis. The activity consisted of carrying out the Simulated Jury with 3rd grade high school classes, using the Resolution, Exploration and Proposition of Problems methodology. The results indicated that the participants were able to actively participate in the discussions, building strategies and critical thinking in the face of presented problems.