An investigation into the tension arising between natural language and mathematical language experienced by mechanical engineering students

Michael D. Peters; Edward Graham

An investigation into the tension arising between natural language and mathematical language experienced by mechanical engineering students

Michael D. Peters, Edward Graham

Research output: Chapter in Book/Published conference output › Conference publication

Abstract

This investigation is grounded within the concept of embodied cognition where the mind is considered to be part of a biological system. A first year undergraduate Mechanical Engineering cohort of students was tasked with explaining the behaviour of three balls of different masses being rolled down a ramp. The explanations given by the students highlighted the cognitive conflict between the everyday interpretation of the word energy and its mathematical use. The results showed that even after many years of schooling, students found it challenging to interpret the mathematics they had learned and relied upon pseudo-scientific notions to account for the behaviour of the balls.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Proceedings of 8th Congress of European Research in Mathematics Education
Editors	Behiye Ubuz, Çiğdem Haser, Maria Alessandra Mariotti
Place of Publication	Ankara (TR)
Pages	1536-1545
Number of pages	10
Publication status	Published - 31 Dec 2013
Event	8th Congress of the European Society for Research in Mathematics Education - Antalya, Turkey Duration: 6 Feb 2013 → 10 Feb 2013

Congress

Congress	8th Congress of the European Society for Research in Mathematics Education
Abbreviated title	CERME 8
Country/Territory	Turkey
City	Antalya
Period	6/02/13 → 10/02/13

Access to Document

http://www.mathematik.uni-dortmund.de/~erme/doc/CERME8/CERME8_2013_Proceedings.pdf

Cite this

Peters, M. D., & Graham, E. (2013). An investigation into the tension arising between natural language and mathematical language experienced by mechanical engineering students. In B. Ubuz, Ç. Haser, & M. A. Mariotti (Eds.), Proceedings of 8th Congress of European Research in Mathematics Education (pp. 1536-1545). http://www.mathematik.uni-dortmund.de/~erme/doc/CERME8/CERME8_2013_Proceedings.pdf

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title = "An investigation into the tension arising between natural language and mathematical language experienced by mechanical engineering students",

abstract = "This investigation is grounded within the concept of embodied cognition where the mind is considered to be part of a biological system. A first year undergraduate Mechanical Engineering cohort of students was tasked with explaining the behaviour of three balls of different masses being rolled down a ramp. The explanations given by the students highlighted the cognitive conflict between the everyday interpretation of the word energy and its mathematical use. The results showed that even after many years of schooling, students found it challenging to interpret the mathematics they had learned and relied upon pseudo-scientific notions to account for the behaviour of the balls.",

author = "Peters, {Michael D.} and Edward Graham",

year = "2013",

month = dec,

day = "31",

language = "English",

isbn = "978-975-429-315-9",

pages = "1536--1545",

editor = "Behiye Ubuz and {\c C}iğdem Haser and Mariotti, {Maria Alessandra}",

booktitle = "Proceedings of 8th Congress of European Research in Mathematics Education",

note = "8th Congress of the European Society for Research in Mathematics Education, CERME 8 ; Conference date: 06-02-2013 Through 10-02-2013",

}

Peters, MD & Graham, E 2013, An investigation into the tension arising between natural language and mathematical language experienced by mechanical engineering students. in B Ubuz, Ç Haser & MA Mariotti (eds), Proceedings of 8th Congress of European Research in Mathematics Education. Ankara (TR), pp. 1536-1545, 8th Congress of the European Society for Research in Mathematics Education, Antalya, Turkey, 6/02/13. <http://www.mathematik.uni-dortmund.de/~erme/doc/CERME8/CERME8_2013_Proceedings.pdf>

An investigation into the tension arising between natural language and mathematical language experienced by mechanical engineering students. / Peters, Michael D.; Graham, Edward.
Proceedings of 8th Congress of European Research in Mathematics Education. ed. / Behiye Ubuz; Çiğdem Haser; Maria Alessandra Mariotti. Ankara (TR), 2013. p. 1536-1545.

Research output: Chapter in Book/Published conference output › Conference publication

TY - GEN

T1 - An investigation into the tension arising between natural language and mathematical language experienced by mechanical engineering students

AU - Peters, Michael D.

AU - Graham, Edward

PY - 2013/12/31

Y1 - 2013/12/31

N2 - This investigation is grounded within the concept of embodied cognition where the mind is considered to be part of a biological system. A first year undergraduate Mechanical Engineering cohort of students was tasked with explaining the behaviour of three balls of different masses being rolled down a ramp. The explanations given by the students highlighted the cognitive conflict between the everyday interpretation of the word energy and its mathematical use. The results showed that even after many years of schooling, students found it challenging to interpret the mathematics they had learned and relied upon pseudo-scientific notions to account for the behaviour of the balls.

AB - This investigation is grounded within the concept of embodied cognition where the mind is considered to be part of a biological system. A first year undergraduate Mechanical Engineering cohort of students was tasked with explaining the behaviour of three balls of different masses being rolled down a ramp. The explanations given by the students highlighted the cognitive conflict between the everyday interpretation of the word energy and its mathematical use. The results showed that even after many years of schooling, students found it challenging to interpret the mathematics they had learned and relied upon pseudo-scientific notions to account for the behaviour of the balls.

M3 - Conference publication

SN - 978-975-429-315-9

SP - 1536

EP - 1545

BT - Proceedings of 8th Congress of European Research in Mathematics Education

A2 - Ubuz, Behiye

A2 - Haser, Çiğdem

A2 - Mariotti, Maria Alessandra

CY - Ankara (TR)

T2 - 8th Congress of the European Society for Research in Mathematics Education

Y2 - 6 February 2013 through 10 February 2013

ER -

An investigation into the tension arising between natural language and mathematical language experienced by mechanical engineering students

Abstract

Congress

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