From human activity to conceptual understanding of a mathematical concept
Abstract: This article reports on a study which investigated first year university engineering students’ construction of the definition of the concept of the chain rule in differential calculus at a University of Technology in South Africa. An APOS (Action-Process-Objects-Schema) approach was used...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Hipatia Press
2013-02-01
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| Series: | REDIMAT |
| Online Access: | https://hipatiapress.com/hpjournals/index.php/redimat/article/view/414 |
| _version_ | 1811165525903933440 |
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| author | Zingiswa Mybert Monica Jojo Aneshkumar Maharaj Deonarain Brijlall |
| author_facet | Zingiswa Mybert Monica Jojo Aneshkumar Maharaj Deonarain Brijlall |
| author_sort | Zingiswa Mybert Monica Jojo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Abstract:
This article reports on a study which investigated first year university engineering students’ construction of the definition of the concept of the chain rule in differential calculus at a University of Technology in South Africa. An APOS (Action-Process-Objects-Schema) approach was used to explore conceptual understanding displayed by students in learning the chain rule in calculus. Structured worksheets based on instruction designed to induce construction of conceptual understanding of the chain rule were used. A number of students used the straight form technique in differentiating complicated tasks while very few used either the link and Leibniz form techniques. In this manner differentiation of each function within the composite function was accomplished. Students either operated in the Inter- or Trans stages of the Triad. It was found that even students who had inadequate understanding of composition of functions, performed well in the application of the chain rule.
Keywords: Calculus, chain rule, APOS, Genetic decomposition
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| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T15:39:29Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0f6d6b23c36e46a8ab09a530742b2023 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2014-3621 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T15:39:29Z |
| publishDate | 2013-02-01 |
| publisher | Hipatia Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | REDIMAT |
| spelling | doaj.art-0f6d6b23c36e46a8ab09a530742b20232023-02-12T12:55:21ZengHipatia PressREDIMAT2014-36212013-02-012110.4471/redimat.2013.21From human activity to conceptual understanding of a mathematical conceptZingiswa Mybert Monica Jojo0Aneshkumar Maharaj1Deonarain Brijlall2Mangosuthu University of TechnologyUniversity of KwaZulu NatalUniversity of KwaZulu Natal Abstract: This article reports on a study which investigated first year university engineering students’ construction of the definition of the concept of the chain rule in differential calculus at a University of Technology in South Africa. An APOS (Action-Process-Objects-Schema) approach was used to explore conceptual understanding displayed by students in learning the chain rule in calculus. Structured worksheets based on instruction designed to induce construction of conceptual understanding of the chain rule were used. A number of students used the straight form technique in differentiating complicated tasks while very few used either the link and Leibniz form techniques. In this manner differentiation of each function within the composite function was accomplished. Students either operated in the Inter- or Trans stages of the Triad. It was found that even students who had inadequate understanding of composition of functions, performed well in the application of the chain rule. Keywords: Calculus, chain rule, APOS, Genetic decomposition https://hipatiapress.com/hpjournals/index.php/redimat/article/view/414 |
| spellingShingle | Zingiswa Mybert Monica Jojo Aneshkumar Maharaj Deonarain Brijlall From human activity to conceptual understanding of a mathematical concept REDIMAT |
| title | From human activity to conceptual understanding of a mathematical concept |
| title_full | From human activity to conceptual understanding of a mathematical concept |
| title_fullStr | From human activity to conceptual understanding of a mathematical concept |
| title_full_unstemmed | From human activity to conceptual understanding of a mathematical concept |
| title_short | From human activity to conceptual understanding of a mathematical concept |
| title_sort | from human activity to conceptual understanding of a mathematical concept |
| url | https://hipatiapress.com/hpjournals/index.php/redimat/article/view/414 |
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