Calculus education research on integration is coalescing around the theme that teaching integration based on quantitative reasoning is crucial for robust understanding of and usage of integrals. This paper contributes to this International Journal for Research in Undergraduate Education special issue on the teaching and learning of definite…

The theoretical reflection on the nature of school algebra and the development of algebraic thinking from the first educational levels is a relevant topic in mathematics education. In this paper, we first summarize and clarify the positions held on this topic by two theoretical frameworks: the Theory of Objectification and the Onto-semiotic…

In application-oriented mathematics, particularly in the context of nonlinear system analysis, phase plane analysis through SageMath offers a visual display of the qualitative behaviour of solutions to differential equations without inundating students with cumbersome calculations of the plane-phase. A variety of examples is usually given to…

Linear functional relationships are intended to be symmetric and therefore cannot generally be accurately estimated using ordinary least squares regression equations. Orthogonal regression (OR) models allow for errors in both "Y" and "X" and therefore can provide symmetric estimates of these relationships. The most…

Human reasoning about and with uncertainty is often at odds with the principles of classical probability. Order effects, conjunction biases, and sure-thing inclinations suggest that an entirely different set of probability axioms could be developed and indeed may be needed to describe such habits. Recent work in diverse fields, including cognitive…

In this article, we question the prevalent assumption that teaching and learning mathematics should always entail movement from the concrete to the abstract. Such a view leads to reported difficulties in students moving from manipulatives and models to more symbolic work, moves that many students never make, with all the implications this has for…

Maturity and citizenship in a democracy require that laypersons are able to critically evaluate experts' use of mathematics. Learning to critically reflect on the use of mathematics, including the acquisition of the mathematical knowledge and skills required to that end, has been repeatedly postulated as an indispensable goal of compulsory…

A simple discrete-time two-dimensional dynamical system is constructed and analyzed numerically, with modelling motivations drawn from the zombie virus of popular horror fiction, and with suggestions for further exercises or extensions suitable for an introductory undergraduate course.

This paper discusses a proposal for exploration and verification of numerical and algebraic behavior correspondingly to Generalized Fibonacci model. Thus, it develops a special attention to the class of Fibonacci quaternions and Fibonacci octonions and with this assumption, the work indicates an investigative and epistemological route, with…

Considering the important role played by mathematical derivatives in the study of physical-chemical processes, this paper discusses the different possibilities and formulations of this concept and its application. In particular, in Chemical Thermodynamics, we study exact differentials associated with the so-called state functions and inexact…

In this article I consider what critical mathematics education could mean for different groups of students. Much discussion and research has addressed students at social risk. My point, however, is that critical mathematics education concerns other groups as well: for example, students in comfortable positions, blind students, elderly students,…

Young children spend a much greater amount of time on practicing multiplication facts compared to understanding the concept of multiplication. When students have long-term, foundational concepts rather than a series of fragmented algorithms or facts, they are more likely to understand and generalize the mathematics. Using generalized models that…

This theoretical analysis addresses "the unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics in the natural sciences" (Wigner, 1960). For example, how is it that ellipses--constructed by Greek geometers nearly two millennia before Kepler used them--provide such precise models for describing planetary motion? Historical models of gravity and…

The article addresses the problématique of where mathematization is taught in the educational system, and who teaches it. Mathematization is usually not a part of mathematics programs at the upper secondary level, but we argue that physics teaching has something to offer in this respect, if it focuses on solving so-called unformalized problems,…

Equity is an important element of educational discourses pertaining to mathematics and science education. Creativity is an aspect of the classroom that is often ignored due to curricular constraints and the burden of testing. However mathematics offers avenues to infuse the regular curricula with activities that are thought provoking and require…