Proposal of a Mathematical Modelling Activity to Facilitate Students’ Learning of Ordinary Differential Equation Concepts

Esperanza Lozada, Carolina Guerrero-Ortiz, Aníbal Coronel () and Rigoberto Medina
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Esperanza Lozada: Doctorado en Educación Matemática de la Universidad de Los Lagos, Universidad de Los Lagos, Osorno 5290000, Chile
Carolina Guerrero-Ortiz: Instituto de Matemáticas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Blanco Viel 596, Cerro Baron, Valparaíso 2340000, Chile
Aníbal Coronel: Departamento de Ciencias Básicas-Centro de Ciencias Exactas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad del Bío-Bío, Campus Fernando May, Andrés Bello 720, Chillán 3780000, Chile
Rigoberto Medina: Departamento de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad de Los Lagos, Osorno 5290000, Chile

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 16, 1-22

Abstract: We present results that come from analysing students’ processes of solving tasks designed particularly for the learning of differential equations in a situational context. A teaching sequence was implemented during a semester-long course that comprised several tasks to cover the content of the course. Following a qualitative analysis, we show how a contextualised task can favour the construction of meanings associated with differential equations and how the interpretation of the terms present in those equations is developed. We also highlight some difficulties that may arise in students’ interpretations when the task involves meanings from other disciplines.

Keywords: teaching differential equations; mathematical modelling; model-eliciting activities; free fall problem (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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