Calculus instructors’ perspectives on effective instructional approaches in the teaching of related rates problems

Thembinkosi Peter Mkhatshwa

doi:10.29333/ejmste/13658

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Thembinkosi Peter Mkhatshwa ¹ ^*

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¹ Department of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Miami University, Middletown, OH, USA^* Corresponding Author

Abstract

Much research has reported on students’ difficulties with solving related rates problems in calculus. In an effort to generate a resource that could potentially address some of these difficulties from a teaching standpoint, a questionnaire about effective instructional approaches related to the teaching of related rates problems, among other things, was administered to 14 veteran calculus instructors. Analysis of the responses provided by the instructors revealed that all the instructors considered the use of diagrams to be helpful when solving related rates problems. Furthermore, a majority of these instructors noted that introducing a set of steps (i.e., a guideline), during classroom instruction, that students could follow when solving related rates problems is helpful for students when working with this type of problems. These instructors further identified strengths and weaknesses in the way related rates problems are typically presented in calculus textbooks. Implications for instruction are included.

Keywords

related rates problems
calculus learning
calculus teaching

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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Research Article

EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed, 2023, Volume 19, Issue 11, Article No: em2346

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/13658

Publication date: 01 Nov 2023

Online publication date: 09 Sep 2023

Article Views: 1035

Article Downloads: 680

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How to cite this article

APA

Mkhatshwa, T. P. (2023). Calculus instructors’ perspectives on effective instructional approaches in the teaching of related rates problems. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 19(11), em2346. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/13658

Vancouver

Mkhatshwa TP. Calculus instructors’ perspectives on effective instructional approaches in the teaching of related rates problems. EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed. 2023;19(11):em2346. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/13658

AMA

Mkhatshwa TP. Calculus instructors’ perspectives on effective instructional approaches in the teaching of related rates problems. EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed. 2023;19(11), em2346. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/13658

Chicago

Mkhatshwa, Thembinkosi Peter. "Calculus instructors’ perspectives on effective instructional approaches in the teaching of related rates problems". Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education 2023 19 no. 11 (2023): em2346. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/13658

Harvard

Mkhatshwa, T. P. (2023). Calculus instructors’ perspectives on effective instructional approaches in the teaching of related rates problems. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 19(11), em2346. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/13658

MLA

Mkhatshwa, Thembinkosi Peter "Calculus instructors’ perspectives on effective instructional approaches in the teaching of related rates problems". Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, vol. 19, no. 11, 2023, em2346. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/13658