Characterizing the role of technology in mathematics teachers’ practices when teaching about the derivative

Abstract

A current research problem in mathematics education is the characterization of the role of teachers in the processes of technology integration in mathematics classrooms. This paper shows how two secondary mathematics teachers teach the concept of derivative of a function at a point and the concept of derivative function, one of them using digital technology and the other one without using it. Their teaching was characterized by describing their hypothetical learning trajectories (learning goals, learning activities and the hypothetical learning processes). APOS Theory (which stands for Action, Process, Object and Schema) was used to describe the hypothetical learning processes. The results show that the use of digital technology in class may promote reflection among students without excessive computations, thus helping them to construct the concept of derivative.