Meanings on the derivative evidenced by Engineering students at a Mexican university

Authors

  • Víctor Larios Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro
  • Rosa Elvira Páez Universidad Autónoma de la Ciudad de México
  • Hugo Moreno Centro Interdisciplinario de Investigación y Docencia en Educación Técnica

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35763/aiem20.4002

Keywords:

Derivative, partial meanings, engineering education, calculus’ teaching

Abstract

This paper’s goal is to answer the question: What is the meaning of the mathematical object Derivative for a group of future engineers? The Ontosemiotic Approach to Mathematical Cognition and Instruction (OSA) is used as theoretical reference. The methodology considers a reconstruction of the Derivative’s partial meanings for the design, and application of a questionnaire with eight tasks to identify the use of these partial meanings. The participants' responses were analyzed using the ontosemiotic analysis method. We conclude that the predominant partial meaning is linked to the idea of a tangent line to the graph of the original function, with the observation of the preference for the use of the graphic register instead of the tabular one. We close the paper with some reflections on the tasks that Calculus courses specialized for engineers should consider.

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Published

2021-10-25

How to Cite

Larios, V., Páez, R. E., & Moreno, H. (2021). Meanings on the derivative evidenced by Engineering students at a Mexican university. Advances of Research in Mathematics Education, (20), 105–124. https://doi.org/10.35763/aiem20.4002

Issue

No. 20 (2021)

Section

Artículos

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