The purpose of this study is to investigate studentsâ uses and interpretations of mathematical symbols and the influence that symbols have on studentsâ goals and activities when solving tasks with and without a graphing calculator. The researcher conducted a multi-case study of pre-calculus college students with a focus on the goals and activities and they selected and the anticipations and reflections that they made as they worked on math problems in different interview settings Data was collected and analyzed under the conceptual lens of an activity-effect relationship framework and a symbol sense framework. Six different student cases were investigated, and both in-case and cross-case data analysis was conducted and reported. The researcher found that some symbols and symbolic structures had strong influences on studentsâ choices in problem solving. Graphing calculators were used as a way to abandon symbolic manipulation, although very few connections were made between symbolic and graphic or numeric forms. Students demonstrated a mixture of instances of symbol sense as they worked on symbolic mathematical problems.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:NCSU/oai:NCSU:etd-06062008-125034 |
| Date | 15 July 2008 |
| Creators | Kenney, Rachael H |
| Contributors | Allison W. McCulloch, Dr. Karen F. Hollebrands, Dr. Hollylynne Stohl Lee, Dr. Sarah B. Berenson, Dr. Ernest L. Stizinger |
| Publisher | NCSU |
| Source Sets | North Carolina State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/theses/available/etd-06062008-125034/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dis sertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to NC State University or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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