Active methodologies in teaching the equation of a straight line and its elements to high school students

Abstract

The research was developed with the purpose of evaluating the effectiveness of active methodologies in the teaching of the equation of the straight line and its elements for high school students, given the recurrent problem of low academic performance and lack of motivation in the learning of abstract mathematical concepts. For this purpose, a quasi-experimental design with a mixed approach was implemented, where the performance of an experimental group, exposed to innovative pedagogical strategies through the PhET platform, was compared with a control group that received traditional instruction. The sample included first year high school students from a specific educational unit, using data collection instruments such as questionnaires with Likert scales, semi-structured interviews and systematic observations, whose results were analyzed using statistical and qualitative software. The results showed that the implementation of active methodologies, focused on collaborative learning and contextualized problem solving, significantly enhanced conceptual understanding, practical application skills and intrinsic motivation towards mathematics in the experimental group, while the control group showed limitations in the transfer of knowledge to real situations and less autonomy in solving exercises. However, persistent challenges related to personalized feedback and the availability of technological resources were identified, factors that require attention to optimize the effectiveness of these methodologies. Consequently, the study concluded that the integration of interactive digital tools and student-centered pedagogical strategies constitutes a promising approach to transform the teaching of complex mathematical content, although its scalability depends on continuous teacher training, the adequacy of educational infrastructure and the design of didactic materials aligned with the specific needs of the student context.