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Exploring mathematical connections of pre-university students through tasks involving rates of change.

Authors :
Dolores-Flores, Crisólogo
Rivera-López, Martha Iris
García-García, Javier
Source :
International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science & Technology. Apr2019, Vol. 50 Issue 3, p369-389. 21p.
Publication Year :
2019

Abstract

This paper reports the results of a research exploring the mathematical connections of pre-university students while they solving tasks which involving rates of change. We assume mathematical connections as a cognitive process through which a person finds real relationships between two or more ideas, concepts, definitions, theorems, procedures, representations or meanings or with other disciplines or the real-world. Four tasks were proposed to the 33 pre-university students that participated in this research; the central concept of the first task is the slope, the last three tasks contain concepts like velocity, speed and acceleration. Task-based interviews were conducted to collect data and later analysed with thematic analysis. Results showed most of the students made mathematical connections of the procedural type, the mathematical connections of the common features type are made in smaller quantities and the mathematical connection of the generalization type is scarcely made. Furthermore, students considered slope as a concept disconnected from velocity, speed and acceleration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
0020739X
Volume :
50
Issue :
3
Database :
Academic Search Index
Journal :
International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science & Technology
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
135501142
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1080/0020739X.2018.1507050