RUME 25
2023
Omaha, Nebraska
A Precalculus Student’s Use of Slope in Finding Linear Equations and Linear Approximation
Page: 960
This article reports mathematical understanding of one of the precalculus students who participated in a teaching experiment. The experiment was designed to help students strengthen the understanding of the concept of rate of change and linear equations to prepare them for the calculus concepts: tangent line equation and linear approximation. Before the experiment, the student understood slope mostly as an algebraic ratio and could not use the slope to determine the y-intercept of the line. With the intervention, she strengthened her knowledge of slope as both algebraic and geometric ratios and used her knowledge to construct linear equations. In addition, she was able to use slope to determine linear approximations of function values in various functions. The results suggest that when provided with appropriate tasks and prompts, precalculus students can be better prepared for their upcoming calculus concepts.