Geogebra-Assisted Teaching Experiment On Students’ Conceptual Change In Multivariable Calculus

Dini Andiani; Siti  Dwi Rahayu; Cecep Suwanda

doi:10.24239/koordinat.v6i2.181

Dini Andiani Universitas Bale Bandung
Siti Dwi Rahayu Universitas Bale Bandung https://orcid.org/0009-0006-0839-5459
Cecep Suwanda Universitas Bale Bandung https://orcid.org/0009-0002-9375-0558

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24239/koordinat.v6i2.181

Keywords: Conceptual change, Conceptual diificulties, GeoGebra-assisted learning, Multivariable calculus, Teaching experiment

Abstract

This study explores students’ conceptual change in understanding gradients and tangent planes through a GeoGebra-assisted teaching experiment in a multivariable calculus course. The study involved eight second year undergraduate mathematics students enrolled at the Mathematics Department of a university in West Java, Indonesia. Data were collected through diagnostic tests, classroom observations, students’ written work, and reflective notes, and semi sructured interviews, then analyzed qualitatively using coding, triangulation, and retrospective analysis.The findings revealed that, at the outset, students were able to perform symbolic differentiation of partial derivatives but struggled to interpret the gradient vector conceptually or relate it to the tangent plane. Through guided use of GeoGebra, students gradually reconceptualized the gradient as representing both the direction and rate of steepest ascent, demonstrating a shift from procedural to structural understanding. This study contributes to the theory of conceptual change by illustrating how dynamic visualization and guided reinvention can facilitate the transformation of students’ procedural knowledge into coherent conceptual models. Practically, the findings provide insights for designing technology-assisted instruction to address persistent misconceptions in multivariable calculus learning

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