Concept Image and its Influence on Beliefs: Case Study on Undergraduate Engineering Students in Solving of Calculus Concept Problems

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to classify and describe the students’ concept image of the understanding calculus concept and its influence on students' beliefs in solving of the calculus concept problems. The study was conducted using a qualitative descriptive approach. The results of this study indicate that there exist four types of students’ concept image from students’ understanding of calculus concepts in calculus. The types include incipient concept image, instrumental concept image, relational concept image and formal concept image. From each type of the students’ concept image, indicates that the students’ beliefs are influenced by the type of the students’ concept image that students have. Findings also indicate that the majority of students’ concept image are instrumental concept image and the fewest are formal concept image.

Keywords: concept image, concept definition, beliefs, perception, calculus.