THE DIFFERENTIAL AND INTEGRAL CALCULATION BOOK I

THE VISION OF ENGINEERING STUDENTS

Abstract

Among the instruments used in the teaching and learning process, the textbook stands out. Specifically, in the subject of Differential and Integral Calculus, this tool has great relevance for playing a role of dialogue between the content of the subject and the student. However, it is known that the choice of textbooks is, in general, made only from the point of view of the instructor of the subject. Thus, it is possible that elements valued by students and that  contribute to their learning are not being considered in the calculus textbooks adopted in several engineering courses. In this work, the relations established between students and the Calculus textbook adopted in engineering courses at a federal university were investigated using a qualitative and quantitative field research, whose investigation analyzed a social fact, the use of the Calculus textbook adopted in engineering courses, in order to elaborate an overview of the textbook in the view of students. To this end, questionnaires were applied and the programs of the courses were analyzed. The main results obtained pointed out that the textbook and the clarity of the language used by the authors are very relevant elements for learning the subject. However, regarding the contributions of the structural elements of the textbook, the students highlighted examples and solved exercises as more significant, with issues of calculus and application of the contents. It is hoped that the results achieved can help teachers in choosing and developing efficient teaching tools.