PROCEEDINGS OF THE 22ND ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
2019
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Characterizing conceptual and procedural knowledge of characteristic equations
Page: 541
Research on student understanding of eigentheory in linear algebra has expanded recently, yet few studies address student understanding of the Characteristic Equation (CE). In this study, we explore students’ conceptual and procedural knowledge of deriving and using the CE. Consulting Star’s (2005) characterization of deep and superficial conceptual and procedural knowledge, we developed the Conceptual and Procedural Knowledge framework for classifying the quality of students’ conceptual and procedural knowledge of both deriving and using the CE along a continuum. Most of our students exhibited deeper conceptual and procedural knowledge of using the CE than of deriving the CE. Furthermore, most students demonstrated deeper procedural knowledge than conceptual knowledge of deriving the CE. Examples of student work are provided, and implications for instruction and future research are discussed.