Calculus in physics classes at UFRGS: an exploratory study

Authors

  • Maria Cecilia Pereira Santarosa Departamento de Matemática, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas Universidade Federal de Santa Maria. Santa Maria, RS, Brasil.
  • Marco Antonio Moreira Departamento de Física, Instituto de Física Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.

Keywords:

Differential and Integral Calculus I, General and Experimental Physics I, problemsituations, concepts, mathematical languages and notations, classroom ethnography, UFRGS.

Abstract

This study is part f a larger one whose general objective is to investigate and to develop a new strategy for teaching Differential and Integral Calculus I, specifically for physics majors, through a possible integration with the teaching of General and Experimental Physics I. With the specific objective of identifying physics problem-situations that may help in making sense of the mathematical concepts used in Calculus I, and languages and notations that might be used in the teaching of Calculus to favor physics learning, it was investigates, through an ethnographic study, the may mathematics is transposed to classes of General and Experimental Physics I, in classes of physics courses at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). Some findings of this study confirmed those reported in the literature regarding the teaching and learning process in introductory college physics courses. These findings will subsidize the preparation of potentially meaningful instructional materials that will be used in a second stage of the research designed to investigate the learning of declarative and procedural knowledge in basic college physics under an approach that integrates problem-situation in physics and calculus mathematical concepts.

Published

2016-07-13

How to Cite

Santarosa, M. C. P., & Moreira, M. A. (2016). Calculus in physics classes at UFRGS: an exploratory study. Investigations in Science Education, 16(2), 317–351. Retrieved from https://ienci.if.ufrgs.br/index.php/ienci/article/view/232