The Influence of Teaching on Student Learning: The Notion of Piecewise Function

Ibrahim Bayazit

doi:10.29333/iejme/255

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Ibrahim Bayazit

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Abstract

This paper examines the influence of classroom teaching on student understanding of the piecewise function. The participants were two experienced mathematics teachers and their 9th grade students. Using a theoretical standpoint that emerged from an analysis of APOS theory, the paper illustrates that the teachers differ remarkably in their approaches to the essence of the piecewise function and this, in turn, affects greatly their students‟ understanding of this notion. Action-oriented teaching, which is distinguished by the communication of rules, procedures and factual knowledge, confines students‟ understanding to an action conception of piecewise function. Process-oriented teaching, which priorities the concept and illustrates it across the representations, promotes students‟ understanding towards a process conception of function.

Keywords

action-oriented teaching
process-oriented teaching
student learning
piecewise function
action conception of piecewise function
process conception of piecewise function

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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Research Article

INT ELECT J MATH ED, 2010, Volume 5, Issue 3, 146-164

https://doi.org/10.29333/iejme/255

Publication date: 12 Dec 2010

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APA

Bayazit, I. (2010). The Influence of Teaching on Student Learning: The Notion of Piecewise Function. International Electronic Journal of Mathematics Education, 5(3), 146-164. https://doi.org/10.29333/iejme/255

Vancouver

Bayazit I. The Influence of Teaching on Student Learning: The Notion of Piecewise Function. INT ELECT J MATH ED. 2010;5(3):146-64. https://doi.org/10.29333/iejme/255

AMA

Bayazit I. The Influence of Teaching on Student Learning: The Notion of Piecewise Function. INT ELECT J MATH ED. 2010;5(3), 146-164. https://doi.org/10.29333/iejme/255

Chicago

Bayazit, Ibrahim. "The Influence of Teaching on Student Learning: The Notion of Piecewise Function". International Electronic Journal of Mathematics Education 2010 5 no. 3 (2010): 146-164. https://doi.org/10.29333/iejme/255

Harvard

Bayazit, I. (2010). The Influence of Teaching on Student Learning: The Notion of Piecewise Function. International Electronic Journal of Mathematics Education, 5(3), pp. 146-164. https://doi.org/10.29333/iejme/255

MLA

Bayazit, Ibrahim "The Influence of Teaching on Student Learning: The Notion of Piecewise Function". International Electronic Journal of Mathematics Education, vol. 5, no. 3, 2010, pp. 146-164. https://doi.org/10.29333/iejme/255