Document Type
Presentation
Publication Date
9-28-2022
Abstract
In this study, I identified important differences in how students conceive points and lines. For example, students envisioned points as a circular dot that represents two quantities’ measures and envisioned that points on a graph (e.g., a line) do not exist until they are physically and visually plotted. Therefore, they conceived the line as representing a direction of movement of a dot on a coordinate plane. On the contrary, students’ meaning of a line included a record of two covarying quantities with the result of the trace consisting of infinitely many points, each of which represents both quantities’ measures. I illustrate the role of these particular meanings for lines and points in students’ construction and interpretation of continuous images of covariation in graphical contexts. I also provide implications by drawing attention to nuances in students’ conceptions of points and lines, including how to incorporate these conceptions into the teaching and learning of mathematics.
Recommended Citation
Tasova, H. I. (2022, September 28-29). Different conceptions of lines and points in the context of graphing [Conference presentation]. The 2022 National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Research Conference, Los Angeles, CA, United States.
