PROCEEDINGS OF THE 16TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION (Vol 1)
2013
Denver, Colorado
HONORABLE MENTION AWARD: Students’ Concept Images and Meanings for Average and Average Rate of Change
Page: 1-31
In this paper, we model students’ concept images and meanings for average and for two- and three-dimensional average rate of change. We use these characterizations to describe how students use their meanings for average to interpret and reason about rate of change. We describe the importance of everyday meanings for average in students’ conceptions of rate, and propose how instruction and activities might address this link. We conclude by discussing the significance of this work for mathematics education, and propose important directions for future research focus on students developing the meanings that instructors intend.