Gameli Kaledji & Dr. Ivona Grzegorczyk
Abstract
Most college students consider trigonometry as one of the most difficult subjects that
they have taken in high school, and their test results confirm that there is a problem with their understanding of the concepts. Nowadays, very few freshmen choose majors requiring a solid mathematics background, especially in STEM disciplines, as they come to college underprepared to undertake the rigorous curriculum requirements. Many teachers try to find ways to make mathematical concepts easier for their students to understand by introducing visual tools, mnemonic devices, and various learning activities. This research project is designed to understand the reasons for gaps in comprehension of trigonometry by comparing answers of two different groups of students to the survey questions asking about their attitudes towards trigonometry, sources of the various problems they had with the topics and their attempts of solving them. We use statistical methods to classify the answers and find commonalities between various groups of participants.
Details
Session 2
3:00pm – 4:30pm
Grand Salon
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