Abstract:

  This is a descriptive study analyzing use of numerical axis in the graphic drawing of tangent and cotangent functions on coordinate plane by means of unit circle by primary education mathematics teaching department students. In addition to quantitative data gathering methods, scan model which has the capacity to apply qualitative data gathering methods like survey and interview have also been employed. The study has been conducted in a moderately populated Eastern Anatolian Region city in Turkey. Research group consists of 56 freshmen students registered to primary education mathematics teaching department. Participant students in the research have been directed eleven 5-Likert type and six open-ended questions; data have been analyzed and obtained findings have been interpreted. The results have demonstrated that students failed to appropriately use numerical axis in drawing tangent and cotangent functions’ graphics on coordinate plane and that they used interdependent concepts as if they were independent concepts. In the end it has been suggested that students should be led to activities which enable establishing inter-conceptual relations.

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