GAMBARAN MENTAL DAN PERWAKILAN PELAJAR LEPASAN SIJIL PELAJARAN MALAYSIA TENTANG KONSEP FUNGSI

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to identify post Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) students’ conceptions of functions based on the theory of constructivism. The subjects selected were three post SPM students aged 19 years old. Data collection for this study was done by using the clinical interview technique. The data collected was transcribed and analyzed to enable conclusions to be made. Five types of problems presented to the students during the interview were mental images, representations, functions, linear functions, and quadratic functions. The discussion in this article will focus on mental images and representations of functions. The study identified four types of mental image of a mathematical function, namely a relationship between two variables, a relationship between two numbers, an input and output process, and a mathematical application in everyday life. Furthermore, six forms of representations used by the students to illustrate mathematical functions were the symbol f(x), the symbol f:x–>, graph, an arrow diagram, a table, and the equation “y = terms in xâ€.