The effect of calculus and kinematics contexts on students’ understanding of graphs

Pablo Barniol; Genaro Zavala; Angeles Dominguez

doi:10.29333/ejmste/15581

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Pablo Barniol ¹ , Genaro Zavala ² ³ , Angeles Dominguez ² ³ ^*

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¹ School of Humanities and Education, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey, MEXICO² Institute for the Future of Education, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey, MEXICO³ School of Engineering, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, CHILE^* Corresponding Author

Abstract

In this study, we compare students’ understanding of the derivative as slope and the antiderivative as the area under the curve using isomorphic graph-based problems in both calculus and kinematics contexts. Drawing from previous research, we designed two isomorphic tests, each with 12 items, and administered them to 543 university students. Our findings show that students performed significantly better on the kinematics test, with a higher rate of correct answers in some items. We also identified the most frequent errors and general trends in students’ selection of incorrect answers across both contexts. Based on these results, we provide specific recommendations for improving the instruction of these concepts. The analyses, recommendations, and tests included in the study can serve as valuable resources for mathematics and science education researchers and instructors teaching these topics. This study offers insights into how context influences students’ conceptual understanding, with implications for enhancing calculus and physics education.

Keywords

Students’ graph understanding
Concept of the derivative
Concept of the antiderivative
Educational innovation
STEM education

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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Research Article

EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed, Volume 20, Issue 11, November 2024, Article No: em2533

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/15581

Publication date: 06 Nov 2024

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Article Downloads: 15

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How to cite this article

APA

Barniol, P., Zavala, G., & Dominguez, A. (2024). The effect of calculus and kinematics contexts on students’ understanding of graphs. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 20(11), em2533. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/15581

Vancouver

Barniol P, Zavala G, Dominguez A. The effect of calculus and kinematics contexts on students’ understanding of graphs. EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed. 2024;20(11):em2533. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/15581

AMA

Barniol P, Zavala G, Dominguez A. The effect of calculus and kinematics contexts on students’ understanding of graphs. EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed. 2024;20(11), em2533. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/15581

Chicago

Barniol, Pablo, Genaro Zavala, and Angeles Dominguez. "The effect of calculus and kinematics contexts on students’ understanding of graphs". Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education 2024 20 no. 11 (2024): em2533. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/15581

Harvard

Barniol, P., Zavala, G., and Dominguez, A. (2024). The effect of calculus and kinematics contexts on students’ understanding of graphs. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 20(11), em2533. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/15581

MLA

Barniol, Pablo et al. "The effect of calculus and kinematics contexts on students’ understanding of graphs". Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, vol. 20, no. 11, 2024, em2533. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/15581