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Journal article
Piecewise function: It's about its domain and range
Dimensions in Mathematics, Vol.34(2), pp.32-36
34
2014
Abstract
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Standards for Algebra recommends that "instructional programs from prekindergarten through grade 12 should enable all students to
understand patterns, relations, and functions" (2000, p. 297). The function concept in particular is essential to the understanding and learning of algebra. It is the "single most important concept from kindergarten to graduate school" (Dubinsky & Harel, 1992, p vii.). Students at the college level continue to encounter difficulties with the concept of function (Carlson & Oehrtman, 2005). In a college algebra course, students are introduced to various functions; the piecewise function is one concept with which students struggle. This paper describes an in-depth analysis of students' work on piecewise functions through a single chosen case, an undergraduate named Wendy. Her work illustrates a common incomplete understanding that was exhibited by other students in this study. Task-based interviews were taken from 26 students enrolled in different sections of the course.
Details
- Title
- Piecewise function
- Publication Details
- Dimensions in Mathematics, Vol.34(2), pp.32-36
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publisher
- Florida Council of Teachers of Mathematics; United States
- Series
- 34
- Format
- pdf
- Copyright
- Permission granted to the University of West Florida Libraries to digitize and/or display this information for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires the permission of the copyright holder.
- Identifiers
- 99380090334606600
- Academic Unit
- School of Education
- Language
- English