Conceptions of functions among first degree and diploma students / Siti Aishah Sheikh Abdullah

The concept of functions is one of the most important topics in mathematics learning. However many studies have indicated various difficulties students exhibited in learning the concept of functions. Tall & Vinner used the term concept images to describe how students think about concepts. A p...

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Main Author: Sheikh Abdullah, Siti Aishah
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Institute of Research, Development and Commercialization (IRDC) 2007
Subjects:
Online Access:http://ir.uitm.edu.my/id/eprint/13026/
http://ir.uitm.edu.my/id/eprint/13026/1/AJ_SITI%20AISHAH%20SHEIKH%20ABDULLAH%20SMRJ%2007%201.pdf
id uitm-13026
recordtype eprints
spelling uitm-130262016-06-15T03:10:53Z http://ir.uitm.edu.my/id/eprint/13026/ Conceptions of functions among first degree and diploma students / Siti Aishah Sheikh Abdullah Sheikh Abdullah, Siti Aishah Teaching aids and devices Institutions of higher education Malaysia The concept of functions is one of the most important topics in mathematics learning. However many studies have indicated various difficulties students exhibited in learning the concept of functions. Tall & Vinner used the term concept images to describe how students think about concepts. A person S concept image can differ greatly from the formal mathematical definitions of the concept. This study explores an aspect of understanding the concept of functions related to this theme. One hundred and ninety university students from two different universities and with a different academic background participated in the study. The first group of students were diploma students in their second semester of engineering programme. The second group were first year students enroll in science based degree in another higher institutions. Data were gathered from questionnaires which asked students to identify functions in graphic and algebraic forms. They were also requested to give reasons for their choices. A large number of students indicated a strong tendency to observe function only as a formula between x and y. Their justification for rejecting or accepting representations of functions showed a rather rigid and limited understanding of the concept. Many were unable to give clear reasoning explaining their choices according to the formal definition from their previous learning. Institute of Research, Development and Commercialization (IRDC) 2007 Article PeerReviewed text en http://ir.uitm.edu.my/id/eprint/13026/1/AJ_SITI%20AISHAH%20SHEIKH%20ABDULLAH%20SMRJ%2007%201.pdf Sheikh Abdullah, Siti Aishah (2007) Conceptions of functions among first degree and diploma students / Siti Aishah Sheikh Abdullah. Social and Management Research Journal, 4 (1). pp. 67-76. ISSN 1675-7017
repository_type Digital Repository
institution_category Local University
institution Universiti Teknologi MARA
building UiTM Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
language English
topic Teaching aids and devices
Institutions of higher education
Malaysia
spellingShingle Teaching aids and devices
Institutions of higher education
Malaysia
Sheikh Abdullah, Siti Aishah
Conceptions of functions among first degree and diploma students / Siti Aishah Sheikh Abdullah
description The concept of functions is one of the most important topics in mathematics learning. However many studies have indicated various difficulties students exhibited in learning the concept of functions. Tall & Vinner used the term concept images to describe how students think about concepts. A person S concept image can differ greatly from the formal mathematical definitions of the concept. This study explores an aspect of understanding the concept of functions related to this theme. One hundred and ninety university students from two different universities and with a different academic background participated in the study. The first group of students were diploma students in their second semester of engineering programme. The second group were first year students enroll in science based degree in another higher institutions. Data were gathered from questionnaires which asked students to identify functions in graphic and algebraic forms. They were also requested to give reasons for their choices. A large number of students indicated a strong tendency to observe function only as a formula between x and y. Their justification for rejecting or accepting representations of functions showed a rather rigid and limited understanding of the concept. Many were unable to give clear reasoning explaining their choices according to the formal definition from their previous learning.
format Article
author Sheikh Abdullah, Siti Aishah
author_facet Sheikh Abdullah, Siti Aishah
author_sort Sheikh Abdullah, Siti Aishah
title Conceptions of functions among first degree and diploma students / Siti Aishah Sheikh Abdullah
title_short Conceptions of functions among first degree and diploma students / Siti Aishah Sheikh Abdullah
title_full Conceptions of functions among first degree and diploma students / Siti Aishah Sheikh Abdullah
title_fullStr Conceptions of functions among first degree and diploma students / Siti Aishah Sheikh Abdullah
title_full_unstemmed Conceptions of functions among first degree and diploma students / Siti Aishah Sheikh Abdullah
title_sort conceptions of functions among first degree and diploma students / siti aishah sheikh abdullah
publisher Institute of Research, Development and Commercialization (IRDC)
publishDate 2007
url http://ir.uitm.edu.my/id/eprint/13026/
http://ir.uitm.edu.my/id/eprint/13026/1/AJ_SITI%20AISHAH%20SHEIKH%20ABDULLAH%20SMRJ%2007%201.pdf
first_indexed 2023-09-18T22:49:42Z
last_indexed 2023-09-18T22:49:42Z
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