STUDENTS’ UNDERSTANDING OF CONCAVITY AND INFLECTION POINTS IN REAL-WORLD CONTEXTS: GRAPHICAL, SYMBOLIC, VERBAL, AND PHYSICAL REPRESENTATIONS
Abstract/Description:
Little research has been conducted into student understanding of concavity and inflection points. Much of what we know comes incidentally from studies looking at the calculus activity of sketching the graphs of functions. However, since concavity and inflection points can be useful in conveying information in disciplines like science, engineering, technology, and economics, it seems important to study how students understand these two concepts in these contexts. This study attempts to provide insight into this area.
Presenter:
Steven Jones and Michael Gundlach, Brigham Young University