Document Type

Honors Thesis

Major

Mathematics

Advisor(s)

Julie DellaMattera

Committee Members

Paula Drewniany, Justin Dimmel, Timothy Boester, Karen Pelletreau

Graduation Year

May 2024

Publication Date

Spring 5-2024

Abstract

The importance of tertiary education has grown to new heights, especially in the United States. A critical component of successful modern professionals remains the ability to employ problem-solving strategies and techniques. This study seeks to investigate initial problem-solving strategies employed by post-secondary students enrolled in Calculus II when presented with problems common to integral calculus. In- person pair-wise interviews were conducted asking six participants to sort integrals into categories based on the technique they would use to solve it. Participant responses were analyzed using a concept image composed of general and topic-specific symbolic forms, related conceptual images and concept definitions, and associated cognitive resources. Results indicate participants successfully sort by technique initially, suggesting technique choice is not a significant cause of error. Though a single cause of error cannot be established from this investigation, remarks from participants allude to other potential sources, including algebraic and arithmetic operations.

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