ERIC Number: EJ1305136
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021
Pages: 27
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0020-739X
EISSN: N/A
Students' Struggles with Temporal Order in the Limit Definition: Uncovering Resources Using Knowledge in Pieces
International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, v52 n9 p1295-1321 2021
A few case studies have suggested students' struggles with the "temporal order" of epsilon and delta in the formal limit definition. This study problematizes this hypothesis by exploring students' claims in different contexts and uncovering productive resources from students to make sense of the critical relationship between epsilon and delta. A three-step analysis supports these aims. The analysis starts by investigating the generalizability and specificity of the struggle with the temporal order. Then, analysing students' justifications reveals dominant ideas supporting students' claims. Finally, attending to the foci of the justifications reveals the potential resources to make sense of the temporal order. This study illustrates the productivity of the principles "context sensitivity," "cueing priority," and "reliability priority" from Knowledge in Pieces in understanding students' struggles. The study offers the three-step analysis as a method to approach students' understanding from an anti-deficit perspective.
Descriptors: Mathematics Instruction, Teaching Methods, Difficulty Level, Generalization, Cues, Context Effect, Constructivism (Learning), Case Studies, Prior Learning, Video Technology, Undergraduate Students, Calculus, Comparative Analysis, Student Attitudes, Logical Thinking, Problem Solving, Sequential Learning
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A