Learning obstacles on the concept of function: a hermeneutic phenomenological study

Abstract

Abstract The meaning of a mathematical concept especially function, which formed by students, is subjective in nature and has its own interpretation. Therefore, this reality is important to examine further. This study aims to explore the learning obstacles on the concept of function based on the students’ meaning of the concept and how students acquire as well as construct the meaning related to their experiences. This is a qualitative study with uses a hermeneutic phenomenological approach involving 65 10th grade students who have learned about function. The data collected through a test and interview. The interviews were transcribed and then conducted in-depth analysis to identify the learning obstacles possibility. The results of this study showed that the concept of function is meant actually as a correspondence between two elements; there is the meaning of function inconsistency; and the meaning of function that tends to be partial. On the other hand, there is a tendency that students acquired and constructed the concept of function are limited on what they’ve learned during the classroom. Based on the results of this study, it can be concluded that in general there are learning obstacles on the concept of function includes epistemological, ontogenic, and didactical obstacles.