STEM Majors’ Cognitive Calculus Ability to Sketch a Function Graph

Abstract

University of Oklahoma. His pedagogical research interest includes technology and calculus education of STEM majors. He worked on an IRB approved pedagogical study to observe undergraduate and graduate mathematics and engineering students' calculus and technology knowledge in 2011. His other research interests include nonlinear optimization, financial engineering, facility allocation problem, vehicle routing problem, solar energy systems, machine learning, system design, network analysis, inventory systems, and Riemannian geometry. Gabriela C Gualpa, Quinnipiac UniversityGabriela is currently a second semester junior attending Quinnipiac University. Engineering and mathematics undergraduate and graduate students' conceptual function knowledge can have an important impact on their success in conceptually advanced courses. In building blocks of STEM concepts, function concept requires knowledge of sub-concepts such as limit, first derivative, second derivative, and asymptote. In this study, calculus concept knowledge of seventeen undergraduate and graduate engineering and mathematics students enrolled in a Numerical Methods-Analysis course at a large Midwest Research Institution are analyzed based on their responses to a calculus graphing question similar to the research question of Baker, Cooley, and Trigueros (2000). This question is analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively by using the triad classification in Action-Process-ObjectSchema (APOS) theory. Mathematics graduate and undergraduate students succeeded the most among all the participants.

University Students’ Ability to Interconnect the Calculus Concepts and Function Graphing

“…2 For instance, conceptual knowledge construction of function graph sketching can be analyzed by understanding underlying subjects such as limit, derivatives, and asymptotes. Similar to the present work, Tokgöz and Gualpa 18 and Tokgöz 19 evaluated undergraduate and graduate students' ability to respond to function related questions by using APOS theory. Tokgöz and Gualpa 18 investigated undergraduate and graduate STEM majors' ability to answer the following research question:…”

“…Similar to the present work, Tokgöz and Gualpa 18 and Tokgöz 19 evaluated undergraduate and graduate students' ability to respond to function related questions by using APOS theory. Tokgöz and Gualpa 18 investigated undergraduate and graduate STEM majors' ability to answer the following research question:…”

Evaluation of Engineering & Mathematics Majors' Riemann Integral Definition Knowledge by Using APOS Theory

“…21) In this work we have a different classification that will be explain later throughout this work. Tokgöz and Gualpa (2015), and Tokgöz (2015) recently worked on understanding undergraduate and graduate students' ability to respond to a variety of calculus questions by using APOS theory. Evaluation of the results indicated a variety of APOS classification of the participants depending on the research question.…”

STEM Majors' Ability to Relate Integral and Area Concepts

“…Tokgöz and Gualpa (2015), and Tokgöz (2015) recently worked on understanding undergraduate and graduate students' ability to respond to a variety of calculus questions by using APOS theory. Evaluation of the collected data indicated a variety of APOS classification of the participants' depending on the research question.…”