This quantitative retrospective study examines a non-probable convenience sample of 104 in-service mathematics and science teachers with the aim to understand their changes in attitudes toward the integration and use of information and communications technology (ICT) as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data included a self-report questionnaire. The results indicate an increase in teachers’ knowledge regarding the e-learning environments available at their schools. The teachers revealed that before the pandemic, they mostly used computer tools to support struggling students or carry out basic calculations. However, during, because they had to plan distance learning environments, they introduced adaptive pedagogical use of ICT tools for all their students. The findings reveal that most teachers experienced difficulties emanating from lack of preparation time, technological knowledge, and/or technical conditions, thus suggesting that policymakers must decide how to provide adequate knowledge and technical support to allow teachers to successfully integrate computerized technologies into their teaching.

The learning of calculus concepts is considered challenging for students. This claim is actual for calculus in general and for specific concepts in particular. In this paper, we focus on the concept of the inflection point. We argue that one of the roots of this problem is the lack of a useful and productive meaning of the concept—the understanding of the inflection point as the point where the behaviour of a curve (graph of function) changes in relation to the tangent line. With the purpose of helping students to construct this meaning we developed a specific digital tool: a teaching unit based on the interactive diagrams framework. Does this tool help students to achieve this meaning (i.e., to construct and consolidate new knowledge)? To answer this question, we conducted an empirical feasibility experiment (in the form of a case study with two first-year students from the Industrial Engineering College) and analysed the gathered data using the framework of abstraction in context as the theoretical and methodological basis. Our findings show that the designed tool (the interactive digital teaching unit) has potential for helping students to make the above-mentioned meaning for this mathematical concept and can serve as a useful basis to continue the investigation of designing tools that support the meaning-making of advanced mathematical concepts.

Mathematical modeling competency is essential for engineering students, yet significant cognitive obstacles impede their ability to apply theoretical concepts like derivatives to real-world optimization problems. This study investigates the cognitive processes and obstacles encountered by Industrial Engineering and Management students when solving applied derivative problems, utilizing the Mathematical Modeling Cycle (MMC) and Duval’s theory of semiotic registers as analytical frameworks. A qualitative case study design was employed, analyzing students’ written exam responses to an applied optimization task involving tour organization with variable pricing structures. Three representative cases were examined in detail, revealing distinct patterns of cognitive engagement. Results identified specific cognitive obstacles including misunderstanding of variables and domains, weak connections between mathematical and economic contexts, difficulties in graphical representation of constraints, and deficits in validation and critical thinking. While students demonstrated procedural fluency in symbolic manipulation and mathematical work, they struggled to coordinate between different semiotic registers (verbal, algebraic, graphical, and contextual) and failed to complete the full modeling cycle, particularly in the crucial validation stages. These findings suggest that cognitive obstacles stem from representational gaps rather than general learning difficulties, indicating the need for targeted pedagogical interventions that explicitly address transitions between semiotic registers and emphasize the iterative nature of mathematical modeling in engineering contexts.

Integral calculus presents persistent challenges for students in general and for those transitioning from secondary to tertiary education in particular. This study examines the development of "Accumulative Thinking" as a foundation for understanding integration. In a purposely designed learning activity, pairs of Grade 11 students explored accumulation concepts using the context of water flowing into a pool. Using the Abstraction in Context framework, we analysed students’ processes of constructing knowledge during this activity. Our findings indicate that most students constructed elements of Accumulative Thinking, preparing them for future studies; the findings also demonstrate how real-world contexts can facilitate the development of Accumulative Thinking.

Inclusive secondary mathematics education is complex because teachers must respond to learner variability while preserving mathematical goals and participation. Using a mixed-methods design, we examined changes in multidimensional professional learning following participation in a graduate course on teaching students with special educational needs (SEN), focusing on inclusive practices, attitudes, self-efficacy, and achievement emotions. Participants were 29 master’s students in secondary mathematics education. Pre- and post-course measures were complemented by written reflections that illuminated practical and emotional dimensions of learning. Participants reported improvements in inclusive practices, attitudes, and self-efficacy, alongside more favorable achievement emotions: enjoyment, hope, and pride increased, whereas anger, anxiety, and hopelessness decreased. Qualitative findings revealed a shift from viewing adaptations as isolated techniques to diagnostically analyzing learner characteristics, task demands, and instructional design. Participants distinguished more clearly among content-related, cognitive, and executive-function difficulties and translated these distinctions into concrete supports. Findings underscore the value of sustained, differentiated, and reflective preparation for supporting multidimensional professional learning in inclusive mathematics classrooms.