Teacher Discourse and Metacognition in Inquiry-Based Mathematics Teaching in the Amazon

Abstract

This study analyzes the relationship between teacher-monitor discourse and the manifestation of metacognitive incidents in an Inquiry-Based Teaching Sequence (IBTS) in Mathematics developed in a Science Club in the Amazon region. The study is grounded in the perspective of metacognition as a process of monitoring and regulating thinking. A qualitative approach was adopted, based on content analysis of discursive interactions recorded through audio, video, and transcriptions. The units of analysis consisted of speech turns produced by students and teacher-monitors, categorized according to a specific analytical framework. Results indicate that approximately 33% of students’ utterances presented evidence of metacognitive incidents, with predominance of confirmation and lower occurrence of monitoring and conceptual change. Discursive strategies such as prompting, scaffolding, revoicing, and counterposition contributed to the mobilization of metacognitive processes, especially in more advanced stages of the inquiry activity. The findings suggest that teacher discourse plays a significant role in promoting metacognition, although its effectiveness depends on didactic conditions and the ways classroom interactions are conducted.