RUME 25
2023
Omaha, Nebraska
A Student’s Application of Function Composition when Solving Unfamiliar Problems: The Case of Zander
Page: 744
Function composition is highly useful for making sense of many fundamental ideas in calculus and related areas of mathematics. However, of the large body of research investigating students’ understandings of function, very little has been centrally focused on function composition. In an effort to contribute to the existing findings pertaining to function composition, this interview- based study involved an exploration of a first-semester calculus student’s use of function composition when solving unfamiliar problems. The student’s responses revealed potential evidence of his understanding of function composition, function as an action or process, and covariational reasoning.