A STUDY OF CALCULUS STUDENTS’ SOLUTION STRATEGIES WHEN SOLVING RELATED RATES OF CHANGE PROBLEMS
Abstract/Description:
Contributing to the growing body of research on students’ understanding of related rates of change problems, this study reports on the analysis of solution strategies used by five calculus students when solving three related rates of change problems where the underlying independent variable in each problem was time. Contrary to findings of previous research on students’ understanding of related rate of change problems, all the students in this study were able to translate prose to algebraic symbols. All the students had a common benchmark to guide their overall work in one of the tasks but no benchmark to guide their overall work in the other two tasks. Three students exhibited weaker calculational knowledge of the product rule of differentiation. Directions for future research and implications for instruction are included.
Presenter:
Steven Jones, Brigham Young University and Peter Thembinkosi, Miami University of Ohio