The effects of the constructivist-based teaching approach on students' conceptual understanding of introductory calculus

• Main Author: Cruz, Celia Cunanan
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2002
• Subjects: Mathematics > Study and teaching; Calculus; Teaching; Science and Mathematics Education
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_doctoral/911
• Institution: De La Salle University

This study investigates the effects of the constructivist-based teaching approach on students' conceptual understanding of introductory calculus. Undertaken at the Philippine Normal University (PNU) during the second semester of school year 2001-2002, the study involved two groups of PNU students, the experimental and control. The researcher taught the experimental group in a constructivist manner, while another teacher taught the control group using the traditional approach. To determine the levels of conceptual understanding of the students, the following instruments were used: (a) five quizzes, (b) achievement test, and (c) talk-aloud test. The data gathered were described and analyzed using the mean, standard deviation, frequencies, t-test for correlated samples and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) using Grade Point Average (GPA) in Mathematics as covariate. Results showed that students taught the constructivist way performed much better in five quizzes, achievement test and talk-aloud test than students taught the traditional way. This means that the level of understanding of the experimental group is better than the control group using the scores obtained in the instruments. When their performance in the achievement test and talk-aloud test was analyzed, the experimental group performed equally well. By contrast, the control group did better in the written test than in the talk-aloud test where their thinking was deeply probed. All the results reveal the fact that the constructivist-based teaching approach is more effective in raising student's levels of conceptual understanding of introductory calculus than the traditional approach. Equally, the constructivist approach proves to be more effective in developing longer-lasting and deep understanding of calculus concepts than the traditional approach, as evidenced by the results of the talk-aloud interviews.