PROCEEDINGS OF THE 22ND ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
2019
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Abstract algebra students’ function-related understanding and activity
Page: 419
Functions play a fundamental role both in abstract algebra and earlier courses in the mathematics curriculum. Yet little attention has been paid to how students’ understanding of function (informed by their prior experiences) supports or constrains their activity when dealing with functions in abstract algebra. In this study, we report on six abstract algebra students’ understanding of function, their function-activity in abstract algebra tasks, and the degree to which their understanding of function from prior experiences is connected to their understanding in this new setting. We conclude with two cases contrasting the activity of two students with divergent levels of connection between their function understanding and the abstract algebra setting. In general, we found that function served an important role in students’ activity and provides implications for instruction and future research.