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ERIC Number: EJ1342446
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022-Jul
Pages: 25
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2198-9745
EISSN: N/A
Derivatives and the Study of Motion at the Intersection of Calculus and Mechanics: A Praxeological Analysis of Practices at the College Level
Hitier, Mathilde; González-Martín, Alejandro S.
International Journal of Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education, v8 n2 p293-317 Jul 2022
Of the many disciplines that rely on calculus, physics is among those with the strongest connections to this branch of mathematics. For instance, the derivative--one of the key notions of calculus--is used to describe velocity and acceleration, which play a central role in mechanics. In post-secondary education, in particular at the college level, it is not unusual for students to enroll in calculus and mechanics courses in the same year, and even the same term. In mathematics education, however, there is scant research focusing on students' construction of the notion of derivative in a mechanics context, and existing studies offer contradictory views on the effectiveness of using mechanics to teach derivatives. To shed light on the use of derivatives in mechanics and calculus courses, our study focuses on practices involving the use of derivatives to study motion in both courses. We first conducted a praxeological analysis of five differential calculus textbooks and five mechanics textbooks to pinpoint their use of derivatives in the study of motion. This analysis was complemented by interviews with four mathematics teachers and three mechanics teachers, to compare their praxeologies with those of the textbooks. We then identified consistencies and inconsistencies between practices employed in both courses, which may have an impact on students' learning, and formulated recommendations for teaching the notion of derivative in kinematics.
Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2123/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Information Analyses
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A