Title:

Calculus I Students’ Understanding of Implicit Differentiation

Implicit differentiation is an important topic in first-semester Calculus, yet only recently have researchers turned their attention to it. Our study seeks to contribute to this growing body of knowledge. We examined students’ performance on an instructional activity and a related exam question that emphasized the graphical representation of implicit curves alongside the symbolic competence of implicit differentiation. The students worked in small groups during recitations and then completed a similar type of question on an assessment. A researcher-designed Implicit Differentiation Knowledge Components was used to analyze student written data. The results suggest that students’ attainment of symbolic learning goals is higher than that of graphical ones, with most difficulties experienced with coordination between symbolic and graphic modalities. Implications for further research are discussed.

Name

Comment*

Comments are viewable only by submitter

Captcha*