PROCEEDINGS OF THE 23RD ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
2020
Boston, Massachusetts
Students’ meanings for the derivative at a point
Page: 681
The purpose of this study is to examine students’ meanings for the derivative at a point. While students may associate rate of change with derivative, this does not mean that the meaning they have for derivative is productive. This study explores students’ responses to a typical calculus 1 problem that uses derivative to determine a linear approximation. A framework is provided for describing and analyzing students’ meanings for the derivative at a point by discussing students’ usage of time and meaning for change in the context of a fish growing over time.