Problem-based learning (PBL) has the potential to enhance both cognitive and affective engagement but has been criticised for being unsuitable for learners with low levels of knowledge and skills, such as South African learners from poor backgrounds. In such cases, guided problem-based learning (GPBL), which includes direct instruction and teacher…

This paper is the result of a research done from the Socioepistemological Theory of Mathematics Education, perspective in which we enquire about the reasons to study trigonometric Fourier series in electrical engineering, and what historical and epistemological conditions can be considered to develop more profound meanings when this topic is…

Two decades ago, in an award-winning paper, Dan Kennedy (1995) likened learning mathematics to climbing a tree, for which there was only one way to climb: up a large and solid trunk. In the limited time that is available, many students give up the climb, impede others, fall off the trunk, or fail to climb the tree sufficiently well. In the case of…

In 1999, Richard Lee Colvin published an article in "The School Administrator" titled "Math Wars: Tradition vs. Real-World Applications" that described the pendulum swing of mathematics education reform. On one side are those who advocate for computational fluency, with a step-by-step emphasis on numbers and skills and the…

Methods are presented for teaching the meaning of exponential functions, Euler's formula, De Moivre's theorem and Maclaurin's series for exponentials, cosine, and sine to juniors or seniors in high school. (JG)

An old way to determine asymptotes for curves described in polar coordinates is presented. Practice in solving trigonometric equations, in differentiation, and in calculating limits is involved. (MNS)

Presents an approach to Vieta's formula involving pi and infinite product expansions of the sine and cosine functions. Indicates how the formula could be used in computing approximations of pi. (MVL)