Resumen

Background: The study of the use of mathematical modelling as a pedagogical alternative has been an emerging research topic and it is directly linked to the importance of improving the teaching and learning of mathematics and the development of skills. However, few researches in Mathematics Education have been dedicated to investigating the use of modeling in the differential equations course and in the pandemic context. Objectives: identify and analyse the possible contributions of mathematical modelling activities, in the aspects related to learning and the development of criticality in engineering students. Design: the research is qualitative in its methodological assumptions, designed from the development, execution, and assessment of four mathematical modelling activities involving 1st and 2nd order ordinary differential equations. Setting and participants: the activities were carried out with 117 undergrad students from nine engineering degrees at a federal university in the countryside of the state of Minas Gerais (Brazil), enrolled in the differential equations I course, in the 1st semester of 2020. Data collection and analysis: Data were collected through the activities carried out, the recording of classes taught remotely, and assessment questionnaires, being analysed through a categorisation made from the confrontation with the theoretical framework that underpinned the research. Results: The results allow us to state that the mathematical modelling activities carried out are rich opportunities for students’ motivation and learning, allowing for a differentiated exploration of the applications of the mathematical contents involved, contributing to a critical interpretation of reality, albeit in an incipient way. Conclusions: based on the research carried out, we can conclude by highlighting the importance of current and future research in mathematics education in higher education, pointing to a teaching of differential equations that breaks with the traditional model of formula tables and methods of resolution.