The effectiveness of using APOS-ACE theory on students' understanding of the concept of derivative in a discrete learning environment

Subject Areas : MAth Education

Amin Badiyepeima Jahromi ¹ , Amirali Tabatabai ² , Majid Haghverdi ³

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Received: 2022-04-16 Accepted : 2022-11-30 Published : 2024-09-25

Keywords: تدریس و یادگیری, چرخه ACE, دنباله تفاضلی, مشتق, نظریه APOS,

Abstract :

The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of APOS-ACE theory on students' understanding of the concept of derivative in the discrete learning environment introduced by Wiegand (2014). In this approach, a step-by-step method to obtain difference sequence of functions defined on z and Q is proposed. For this purpose, a quasi-experimental method of pretest-posttest with control group was used to conduct this research. In the present study, 42 engineering students from one of the universities of Fars province, participated in two groups. Initially, a pre-test of both groups was taken using a researcher-made test. Then the ACE teaching cycle was designed with the help of GeoGebra software and in the experimental group, the concept of discrete derivative was taught using this cycle. Covariance was used to analyze the obtained data. Findings of this study showed that the use of ACE cycle has been effective on students' understanding of the concept of discrete derivative approach and gradually helped to a better understanding of the rate of change and the local rate of change with the help of sequences.

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