Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-27T16:57:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Sonia Maria da Silva Junqueira.pdf: 2968664 bytes, checksum: 244305f9a82500e6330e73d3d5b791a2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-08-15 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Aiming to point the possibilities of students experiences in Calculus 1 classes, specifically regarding the derivative content, the theoretical choices were conducted around the dialogic relationship of Buber, the inter-human relationship, and also from the choices that lead the human life according Bauman e May and the dimension of the experience of Larrosa, the field of subjectivity in which the problematic Calculus 1 lies. A qualitative with quantitative data survey was delineated having interpretative and descriptive aspects through which a content analysis was planned Bardin and carried out with 186 students majoring engineering, mathematics, physics and chemistry enrolled in a Public Federal University. The data collection was done through three different approaches, the first and the second revealed subjective hypothesis identified from the investigated subjects talk, and the third, conducted by representations shown in Initial Concept Maps. It was concluded that the experience in Calculus 1 classes has been of reciprocity, in a two-way action that includes contents and subjects of the experience; of singleness, by the subjectivity and identity of each subject; of unpredictability, by the uncertainties, dangers and possibilities of the experience; of temporality, because it dispenses the recognition of distinct time and space to the subjects of the experience. The investigated subjects showed aspects apparently contradictory that however, denoted complementarities. They showed that students who had a weaker base in mathematics reached as many positive results as the negative ones, and that personal goals contributed to the adaptation and development in the school subject, showing aspects of co-responsibilities although they were not the same among the subjects, revealing marks of a process particular in choices as well. Yet, it was highlighted that the strengthening of the transparency mechanism and institutional communication could contribute to the process of development of those subjects. Facing Calculus 1, the students showed emotions, feelings. Facing the derivative they were incipient. However, they revealed marks of experiences that consolidate themselves in the construction of knowledge / Com o objetivo de apontar possibilidades de experiências de estudantes em aulas de Cálculo 1, especificamente, em relação ao conteúdo Derivada, as escolhas teóricas foram conduzidas em torno da relação dialógica de Buber, a relação inter-humana, também das escolhas que conduzem a vida humana Bauman e May e da dimensão da experiência de Larrosa, o campo de subjetividades no qual se assenta a problemática do Cálculo 1. Delineou-se uma pesquisa qualitativa com dados quantitativos, com aspectos interpretativos e descritivos, por meio dos quais se planejou uma análise de conteúdo constituída junto a 186 estudantes de cursos de Engenharias e Licenciaturas, matriculados em uma Universidade Pública Federal. A coleta de dados ocorreu em três abordagens, sendo a primeira e segunda reveladoras de hipóteses subjetivas identificáveis a partir dos relatos dos sujeitos investigados, e a terceira, conduzida por representações exteriorizadas em Mapas Conceituais Iniciais. Concluiu-se que a experiência em aulas de Cálculo 1 tem sentidos de reciprocidade, na ação de mão dupla que engloba conteúdos e sujeitos da experiência; de unicidade, pela subjetividade e identidade de cada sujeito; de imprevisibilidade, pelas incertezas, perigos e possibilidades da experiência; de temporalidade, pois prescinde o reconhecimento de tempos e espaços distintos aos sujeitos da experiência. Os sujeitos investigados deixaram transparecer aspectos aparentemente contraditórios, que, todavia, denotaram complementaridades. Apontaram que estudantes com uma base mais fraca em Matemática alcançaram tanto resultados positivos quanto negativos, e que buscas pessoais contribuíram em favor da adaptação e desenvolvimento na disciplina, demonstrando aspectos de corresponsabilidades, embora não unânimes entre os sujeitos, revelando também marcas de um processo particular de escolhas. Ainda, evidenciou-se que o fortalecimento de mecanismos de transparência e de comunicação institucionais pode contribuir para o processo de formação desses sujeitos. Diante do Cálculo 1, os estudantes revelaram emoções, sentimentos. Diante da Derivada se mostraram incipientes, entretanto, revelaram marcas de experiências que se consolidam na construção desse conhecimento

The quality of mathematics knowledge attained by students entering university in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields has been decreasing. There is a need to enhance students’ mathematical knowledge in order to maintain the standards of STEM curriculum at university. The rationale of this study was to investigate the influence of Pre-Calculus Mathematics Refreshment module taught using Meta-cognitive skills and Co-operative Learning (MCL), or Co-operative Learning (CL) only, or Traditional lecture (T) intervention method to First Year pre-engineering Students on their Applied Calculus 1 in an Ethiopian university. The study further investigated the influence of Pre-Calculus Mathematics Refreshment module for MCL, or CL, or T intervention method on male and female students’ achievement. The refreshment module and Applied Calculus 1 scores were measured through posttest and normal class room score of Applied Calculus 1 result. The dependent variables were student achievement in pre-calculus refreshment Module and Applied Calculus 1. Out of 29 universities in Ethiopia only four were selected to participate in this study. Population of this study was all pre-engineering first year students in those universities in 2016/2017. The sample consisted of 200 pre-engineering university students who studied in four of Ethiopian universities and one class was randomly selected by lottery method from existing pre-engineering classes in each university. Two experimental groups which were taught MCL and the other CL intervention method and two of them were control groups upon whom the control novice with traditional lecture method and control without intervention was applied. In each group 50 students of 25 males and 25 females were purposely selected from sampled class. A pre-calculus mathematics Pre-test was administered first, where the average scores of all students Pre-test result was below 33%. Then, first MCL and CL intervention methods were discussed and exercised for one week before implementing the study. For the study, selected pre-calculus mathematics topics was taught in all classrooms for 32 periods i.e. 50min x32= 26.7hrs at the beginning of the first semester parallel with Applied Calculus 1 for the academic year 2016 / 2017. The statistical tools used under this procedure include descriptive statistics percentage, mean and standard deviation and inferential statistics, T-test, and one-way analysis of variance (one-way ANOVA). The results show statistically significant differences (Sig 0.00) at the significance level (0.05) between students that learnt pre-calculus refreshment module and control group which did not. Among the students those learned pre-calculus refreshment module through MCL, CL and T method students in the MCL and CL groups’ posttest scores significantly different from T group in pre-calculus results both with Sig of 0.00. But there was no significant difference between MCL & CL groups were Sig is 0.97. Additionally, the female students in the MCL group was not significant different from CL and T group, on an impact of refreshment module, in Applied Calculus 1 mathematics where Sig is 0.994 and 0.237 respectively, and CL female group scores significantly different from T group in Applied Calculus 1 results with Sig 0.042. The male students in the MCL and CL groups were significantly different from T group in Applied Calculus 1with Sig of 0.07 and 0.012 respectively. Also, there was a positive correlation between Pre-Calculus refreshment module and Applied Calculus 1 with correlation coefficient of 0.835. Lastly, the result of pre-calculus mathematics posttest scores with the female students in MCL relatively increased than male students, than in CL and T groups, which indicated that MCL benefit more female students than male students. The differences were more in favor of pre-calculus mathematics refreshment with MCL intervention method. To improve success in engineering participation of all students, recommended that a pre-calculus module should be offered by all universities for first year engineering students, structured co-operative learning with purpose has significant gains for effective instruction, and to increase the success rate of female students this study has proven that they are trainable and therefore, meta-cognition skills have to be nurtured for female students. / Mathematics Education / D. Phil (Mathematics Education in Science and Technology)