Um estudo exploratório sobre a imagem conceitual de estudantes universitários acerca do conceito de limite de função

Abstract

This is an exploratory research that aimed to investigate the elements that compose university students’ concept image related to the concept of limit of a function of one real variable. It was investigated the knowledge of 25 students of mathematics’ course in two public universities in the state of Pará (Brazil). The data collection was made, at first, through a questionnaire that contained tasks involving limit of one real variable function’s conceptual aspects. The second stage consisted in interviews with six students that were selected because of their evoked concept images in the previous stage, since they were related to the four Discussion Themes (DT) that leaded those interviews. The data analysis was based on the theory of Tall&Vinner (1981) and Vinner (1991), besides the studies of Cottril et al (1996), Jordaan (2005), Juter (2006), Nair (2009), above others, which composed the theoretical framework of this study. Above the results obtained in this research, we emphasize that the students relate the concept of limit of a function of one real variable with static and/or dynamic interpretations that, in some moments, constituted themselves as potential conflict factors, such as described by Vinner (1991). Besides, we’ve also noticed that some evoked concept images weren’t coherent, which influenced them to construct a personal concept definition different from the formal concept definition of limit of a function of one real variable.