Realistic mathematics for aerospace engineering students:Design research using math mobile apps
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31629/jg.v10i1.6895Keywords:
realistic mathematics education, aerospace engineering students, design research, mathematics mobile application, calculusAbstract
The "realistic" concept in Realistic Mathematics Education (RME) is often confined to everyday contexts. In contrast, for aerospace engineering students, realistic mathematics should reflect the mathematical applications in their academic and future professional environments. This study aimed to design and evaluate instructional activities grounded in RME principles, integrating mathematics mobile applications to support conceptual understanding and reasoning. Using a design research approach, the study involved a questionnaire distributed to alums and third-year students, followed by two implementation cycles with first-year aerospace engineering students. The focus was on integral strategies in calculus, utilizing Photomath to bridge informal and formal mathematical reasoning. Results indicate that students engaged actively with the applications and demonstrated improved reasoning skills, particularly in inductive and imitative reasoning. This study highlights the potential of contextualized digital tools in supporting realistic mathematics learning in higher education. It suggests directions for aligning university-level mathematics with its practical applications in other disciplines, such as aerospace engineering.
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