TAF PUBLISHING

Calculus is important in today’s mathematics. This paper investigated Taiwanese college students’ conceptions of mathematics by permeating mathematical culture in calculus. Forty-three college students who had a major in management participated in this study. A qualitative belief questionnaire, students’ in-class reports, and achievement tests were sources used to observe the development of students’ conceptions. In the beginning, there were 65.12% of students espousing narrow views, whereas it decreased to 34.88% at the end. Research shows that students with broad conceptions from 15 students increased to 28 students (increased to 86.67%). The research concludes that permeating mathematical culture into calculus teaching will improve students’ conceptions of mathematics towards a broader perspective. Based on the findings, we can design a curriculum to stimulate students towards the broader conceptions of mathematics in calculus. We suggest that permeating mathematical culture in calculus teaching is appropriate for encouraging students to hold broader conceptions.