RUME 28
2026
Alexandria, Virginia
Instances of First-Year Calculus in a Calculus-Based Physics Textbook
Page: 1132
We examine the presence of calculus concepts and skills in the portions of a standard textbook that are generally covered in the second and third courses of a typical introductory calculus-based physics course. Using the Calculus Concept Framework (Sofronas 2011) three researchers independently coded calculus concepts and skills in eighteen chapters of a calculus-based physics textbook covering electricity and magnetism, geometrical and physical optics, and modern physics. Along with prior work on the first twelve chapters covering mechanics, this analysis suggests that the calculus content is uneven and not well aligned with prerequisites.