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Students' understanding of differentiation

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Abstract

A clinical interviewing method was used to investigate students' understanding of elementary calculus. The analysis of responses to tasks concerned with differentiation and rate of change led to detailed data concerning the degree of understanding attained and the common errors and misconceptions. Some conclusions were drawn concerning the teaching of differentiation and rate of change. This article is a companion to a previous article concerning integration and limits.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Education, University of Leeds, USA

    A. Orton

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  1. A. Orton
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Orton, A. Students' understanding of differentiation. Educ Stud Math 14, 235–250 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00410540

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00410540

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