PROCEEDINGS OF THE 18TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
2015
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Student’s perceptions of the disciplinary appropriateness of their approximation strategies
Page: 410
Within the context of Taylor series expansions as approximations, we illustrate the context dependence of student reasoning about these approximations - specifically the ways in which students’ notions of what is appropriate in mathematics, physics, or engineering, drive how they engage in and reflect on the solutions they produce. Using data from semi- structured interviews, we build on previous work to argue that students' epistemological framing not only plays a role in their choice of solution strategies, but also how they feel those solution strategies would be perceived within various disciplines.