RUME 28
2026
Alexandria, Virginia
Can x Equal Zero? A Look at Two Calculus I Students' Reasoning About Variables
Page: 1337
Undergraduate students rely on the use of variables and algebraic manipulation when solving problems in a calculus context. However, students often treat variables as symbols to be manipulated rather than as quantities to be related (e.g., LaRue & Infante, 2015; White & Mitchelmore,1996). While mathematics education research in algebra (e.g., Booth, 1989; Küchemann, 1981; Lucariello et al., 2014) studied students’ interpretation and manipulation of variables, more research is needed to understand how these processes manifest specifically among calculus students (e.g., LaRue & Infante, 2015; White & Mitchelmore,1996). This poster will address aspects of this need.