Challenging preservice secondary mathematics teachers’ conceptions of function

Preservice mathematics teachers, like all learners, have well documented difficulties with the concept of function. We designed an applet-based task to challenge these known difficulties with the aim of improving preservice secondary mathematics teachers’ (PSMTs) conceptions of function. This cross-...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Mathematics education research journal 2022-06, Vol.34 (2), p.343-368
Main Authors: McCulloch, Allison W., Lovett, Jennifer N., Meagher, Michael S., Sherman, Milan F.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Education
Mathematics Education
Mathematics teachers
Original Article
Secondary school teachers
Teacher education
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Summary:Preservice mathematics teachers, like all learners, have well documented difficulties with the concept of function. We designed an applet-based task to challenge these known difficulties with the aim of improving preservice secondary mathematics teachers’ (PSMTs) conceptions of function. This cross-institutional study of 47 PSMTs examined the ways in which this task elicited and improved PSMTs’ conceptions of function. The results of the study show a measurable increase in the participants’ level of abstraction in their definition of function, and an increase in their attention to the univalence condition. In particular, the interaction with the specially designed applet was effective in initiating a series of dilemmas in their conception of function that resulted in the majority of the participants changing their conception of function in a positive direction.
ISSN:1033-2170
2211-050X
DOI:10.1007/s13394-020-00347-6