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Challenging traditional sequence of teaching introductory calculus

Herbert, Sandra 2011, Challenging traditional sequence of teaching introductory calculus, in Mathematics : traditions and (new) practices : proceedings of the AAMT-MERGA conference held in Alice Springs, 3-7 July 2011, incorporating the 23rd Biennial Conference of The Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers Inc. and the 34th Annual Conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia Inc., AAMT & MERGA, Adelaide, S. A., pp. 358-365.

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Title Challenging traditional sequence of teaching introductory calculus
Author(s) Herbert, Sandra
Conference name The Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers Inc. and The Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia Inc. Conference (2011 : Alice Springs, N.T.)
Conference location Alice Springs, N.T.
Conference dates 3 - 7 July 2011
Title of proceedings Mathematics : traditions and (new) practices : proceedings of the AAMT-MERGA conference held in Alice Springs, 3-7 July 2011, incorporating the 23rd Biennial Conference of The Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers Inc. and the 34th Annual Conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia Inc.
Editor(s) Clark, Julie
Kissane, Barry
Mousley, Judith
Spencer, Toby
Thornton, Steve
Publication date 2011
Start page 358
End page 365
Total pages 2 v. (1115 p.)
Publisher AAMT & MERGA
Place of publication Adelaide, S. A.
Summary Despite considerable research with students of calculus, rate and hence derivative, remain troublesome concepts to teach and learn. The demonstrated lack of conceptual understanding of introductory calculus limits its usefulness in related areas. Since rate is such a troublesome concept this study trialled reversing the usual presentation of introductory calculus to begin with area and integration, rather than rate and derivative. Two groups of first year tertiary students taking introductory calculus were selected to trial the effect of changing the sequence; a control group and a group which followed the reversed sequence. Two-sample t-tests undertaken in Minitab on the examination results indicate there is no significant difference between the examination results of the two groups. These results indicate that changing the sequence of delivery was not detrimental to the development of conceptual understanding of introductory calculus.
Notes The Conference incorporated the 23rd Biennial Conference of The Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers Inc. and the 34th Annual Conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia Inc.
ISBN 9781875900695
9781875900701
9781875900718
Language eng
Field of Research 130208 Mathematics and Numeracy Curriculum and Pedagogy
Socio Economic Objective 930102 Learner and Learning Processes
HERDC Research category E1.1 Full written paper - refereed
HERDC collection year 2011
Copyright notice ©2011, The Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers (AAMT) Inc. and the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia (MERGA) Inc.
Persistent URL http://hdl.handle.net/10536/DRO/DU:30041008

Document type: Conference Paper
Collection: School of Education
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