An Investigation Of The Conceptual Understanding Of Continuity And Derivatives In Calculus Of Emerging Scholars Versus Non-emerging Scholars Program Students

Abstract

The Emerging Scholars Program (ESP) has been adapted at colleges and universities across the nation in efforts to increase student access to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. This study uses a written assessment to gain insight regarding conceptual knowledge on continuity and derivatives for ESP students versus non-ESP students in the same lecture course in first semester calculus at large urban university in the southwest. We analyze the assessment results of 22 ESP and 48 non-ESP students and discuss findings, particularly, those that indicate statistically significant differences regarding continuity over an interval.