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A Study of the Effectiveness of Mathematical Modelling of Home Delivery Packaging on Year 12 Students’ Function Education

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Teaching Mathematical Modelling: Connecting to Research and Practice

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Abstract

Teaching of functions in secondary education in Japan, as in many other countries, treats only single variable functions, but in our daily life and in nature a lot of phenomena can be expressed by functions of several variables. A home delivery packaging model was provided as a typical teaching material for learning mathematical development models. Fifteen Year 12 students participated in this educational experiment. The theme given to the students was about maximising the volume of a box with a fixed outer length in order to pack the box with as large an amount as possible. This modelling will effectively help students to imagine the maximum value for three dimensional models with two variable integer functions, and it will also help them solve partial differentials. It is hoped that this study will provide additional support for Japanese mathematical activities and improve the teaching of functions in Japan.

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References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Gifu University, Gifu-Shi Yanagido 1-1, Gifu, Japan

    Tetsushi Kawasaki

  2. Kyoto Prefectural Rakuhoku Senior High School, Kyoto, Japan

    Yoshiki Nisawa

Authors
  1. Tetsushi Kawasaki
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  2. Yoshiki Nisawa
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tetsushi Kawasaki .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Education VIC | Faculty of Education, Australian Catholic University, Ballarat, Victoria, Australia

    Gloria Ann Stillman

  2. Faculty of Education, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

    Gabriele Kaiser

  3. Department of Mathematics, University of Kassel, Kassel, Germany

    Werner Blum

  4. Education VIC | Faculty of Education, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

    Jill P. Brown

Appendix – Questionnaire

Appendix – Questionnaire

Preliminary Poll Items

  1. (1)

    Do you like to solve by hand calculation better than to solve using informational instruments?

  2. (2)

    Do you have experience of analyzing by use of spreadsheets or mathematics software?

Post-lesson Items

  1. (3)

    Were you interested in the use of functions of two variables from what you have learned?

  2. (4)

    Could you understand the use of functions of two variables from what you have learned?

  3. (5)

    Did you understand the structure of the maximum value as discovered by the spreadsheet?

  4. (6)

    Were the use of the spreadsheet and the production of a 3D model effective?

  5. (7)

    Were you interested in this solution?

  6. (8)

    Are you satisfied with this solution?

  7. (9)

    Could you solve this problem using the mathematics that you have learned?

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© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Kawasaki, T., Nisawa, Y. (2013). A Study of the Effectiveness of Mathematical Modelling of Home Delivery Packaging on Year 12 Students’ Function Education. In: Stillman, G., Kaiser, G., Blum, W., Brown, J. (eds) Teaching Mathematical Modelling: Connecting to Research and Practice. International Perspectives on the Teaching and Learning of Mathematical Modelling. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6540-5_46

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