Description
There have been a number of studies that have examined students’ difficulties in understanding the idea of logarithm and the effectiveness of non-traditional interventions. However, there have been few studies that have examined the understandings students develop and need to develop when completing conceptually oriented logarithmic lessons. In this document, I present the three papers of my dissertation study. The first paper examines two students’ development of concepts foundational to the idea of logarithm. This paper discusses two essential understandings that were revealed to be problematic and essential for students’ development of productive meanings for exponents, logarithms and logarithmic properties. The findings of this study informed my later work to support students in understanding logarithms, their properties and logarithmic functions. The second paper examines two students’ development of the idea of logarithm. This paper describes the reasoning abilities two students exhibited as they engaged with tasks designed to foster their construction of more productive meanings for the idea of logarithm. The findings of this study provide novel insights for supporting students in understanding the idea of logarithm meaningfully. Finally, the third paper begins with an examination of the historical development of the idea of logarithm. I then leveraged the insights of this literature review and the first two papers to perform a conceptual analysis of what is involved in learning and understanding the idea of logarithm. The literature review and conceptual analysis contributes novel and useful information for curriculum developers, instructors, and other researchers studying student learning of this idea.
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Details
Title
- Sparky the Saguaro: teaching experiments examining students' development of the idea of logarithm
Contributors
- Kuper Flores, Emily Ginamarie (Author)
- Carlson, Marilyn (Thesis advisor)
- Thompson, Patrick (Committee member)
- Milner, Fabio (Committee member)
- Zazkis, Dov (Committee member)
- Czocher, Jennifer (Committee member)
- Arizona State University (Publisher)
Date Created
The date the item was original created (prior to any relationship with the ASU Digital Repositories.)
2018
Subjects
Resource Type
Collections this item is in
Note
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thesisPartial requirement for: Ph.D., Arizona State University, 2018
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bibliographyIncludes bibliographical references (pages 218-222)
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Field of study: Mathematics
Citation and reuse
Statement of Responsibility
by Emily Ginamarie Kuper Flores