Capturing students’ covariational reasoning levels while solving integrals problem

Abstract

Covariational reasoning has defined as the cognitive activities involved in coordinating two varying quantities while attending to the ways in which they change in relation to each other. Level of covariational reasoning will indicate how far students’ comprehence about varying quantities in tandem. This study investigates students’ covariational reasoning level while solving integrals problem. Thirty one undergraduate students were particicpated to complete written test. Interviews were conducted to reveal the students’ covariational reasoning level while solving covariational problems. The result capture that students were able to construct the relation of dependent variable that changes in tandem with the independent variable, but they only stay in maximum level 3 out of 5 level in covariational reasoning. However, students appeared to have difficulty in applying the concept of integrals. These findings suggest that learning in calculus should place increased emphasis on coordinating images of two quantities changing in tandem and solving daily life problem about the application of integrals concept.