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Science and Mathematics Education Commons™
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Full-Text Articles in Science and Mathematics Education
Choose Your Words: Refining What Counts As Mathematical Discourse In Students' Negotiation Of Meaning For Rate Of Change Of Volume, Christine Johnson
Choose Your Words: Refining What Counts As Mathematical Discourse In Students' Negotiation Of Meaning For Rate Of Change Of Volume, Christine Johnson
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this study is to describe how university honors calculus students negotiate meaning and language for conceptually important ideas through mathematical discourse. Mathematical discourse has been recognized as an important topic by mathematics education researchers of various theoretical perspectives. This study is written from a perspective that merges symbolic interactionism (Blumer, 1969) with personal agency (Walter & Gerson, 2007) to assert that human choice reflects, but is not determined by, meanings that are primarily developed through social interaction. The process of negotiation of meaning is identified, described, and analyzed in the discourse of four students and their professor …
Discovering The Derivative Can Be "Invigorating:" Mark's Journey To Understanding Instantaneous Velocity, Charity Ann Gardner Hyer
Discovering The Derivative Can Be "Invigorating:" Mark's Journey To Understanding Instantaneous Velocity, Charity Ann Gardner Hyer
Theses and Dissertations
This is a case study using qualitative methods to analyze how a first semester calculus student named Mark makes sense of the derivative and the role of the classroom practice in his understanding. Mark is a bright yet fairly average student who successfully makes sense of the derivative and retains his knowledge and understanding. The study takes place within a collaborative, student-centered, task-based classroom where the students are given opportunity to explore mathematical ideas such as rate of change and accumulation. Mark's sense making of the derivative is analyzed in light of his use of physics, Mark as a visual …