Back to Search Start Over

Analysis of student's understanding of the concept of derivative with a discrete approach.

Authors :
Jahromi, Amin Badiyepeima
Tabatabai, Amirali
Haghverdi, Majid
Source :
International Journal of Nonlinear Analysis & Applications; Feb2025, Vol. 16 Issue 2, p219-234, 16p
Publication Year :
2025

Abstract

This paper studies the engineering students' understanding of the concept of derivative with a discrete approach using sequences introduced by Weigand [21]. In this approach, a step-by-step method of difference sequence for functions defined on Z and Q is proposed. This concept was taught as part of a mathematics course in an engineering college in an Iranian university. HomeWorks with questions based on derivative with a discrete approach were constructed and performed for the participants. Their written answers, which were used to explore the students' mental structures of these mentioned concepts, were analyzed using APOS (Action-Process-Object-Schema) theory and we performed interviews so that the students could explain about their written answers. The results show that students tend to adopt an algorithmic approach when solving derivative problems and students' understanding of the meaning of derivative with a discrete approach was mainly procedural. Also according to the observed mental structures, a suggested genetic decomposition for the derivative with a discrete approach is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
20086822
Volume :
16
Issue :
2
Database :
Complementary Index
Journal :
International Journal of Nonlinear Analysis & Applications
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
179429948
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.22075/ijnaa.2023.32273.4791