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Thembinkosi P. Mkhatshwa

Education

• Ph.D., Mathematics Education, Syracuse University, 2016
• M.S., Teaching & Curriculum (Mathematics Education), Syracuse University, 2013
• M.A., Mathematics, Marshall University, 2010
• B.Sc., Mathematics & Computer Science, University of Swaziland, 2008

Experience

• Interim Chair, ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University, 2024-present
• Associate Professor, ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University, 2022-present
• Assistant Professor, ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University, 2016-2022
• Teaching Mentor, Syracuse University, 2015-2016
• Teaching Assistant, Syracuse University, 2012-2016
• Teaching Assistant, Oklahoma State University, 2010-2012
• Teaching Assistant, Marshall University, 2008-2010

Research Interests

• Students’ reasoning about fundamental concepts/topics in undergraduate mathematics.
• Opportunity to learn about fundamental concepts/topics provided by widely used undergraduate mathematics textbooks in the United States.
• Experts’ (mathematics professors) views regarding best practices in the teaching of fundamental concepts/topics in undergraduate mathematics.

Publications

Selected Peer-reviewed Journal Publications  

Mkhatshwa, T. (2024). An investigation of business calculus students’ covariational reasoning, procedural knowledge, and conceptual knowledge in the context of price elasticity of demand. Teaching Mathematics and Its Applications: International Journal of the IMA, 43(4), 273-294. 

Mkhatshwa, T. (2024). Students’ thinking about problem solving tasks: The case of initial value problems. International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, 55(8), 2025-2045.

Mkhatshwa, T. (2024). Best practices for teaching the concept of the derivative: Lessons from experienced calculus instructors. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 20(4), 1-17.

Mkhatshwa, T. (2024). Effective instructional strategies to enhance students’ problem posing skills in mathematics courses for elementary teachers: An exploratory study. Association for University Regional Campuses of Ohio Journal, 30, 97-125.

Mkhatshwa, T. (2024). Problem posing and quantitative reasoning opportunities provided by mathematics textbooks for pre-service elementary teachers: A qualitative document analysis. Investigations in Mathematics Learning, 16(2), 83-99.

Mkhatshwa, T. (2023). A quantitative and covariational reasoning investigation of students’ interpretations of partial derivatives in different contexts. International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, 54(4), 511-533.

Mkhatshwa, T. (2023). Calculus instructors’ perspectives on effective instructional approaches in the teaching of related rates problems. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 19(11), 1-15.

Mkhatshwa, T. (2023). Opportunity to learn about optimization problems provided by undergraduate calculus textbooks: A case study. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 19(10), 1-12.

Mkhatshwa, T. (2023). An exploratory study of undergraduate students’ thinking about problem posing tasks in the context of ordinary differential equations. College Student Journal, 57(2), 149-160.

Mkhatshwa, T. (2023). Differential equations: Students’ reasoning about a problem posing task. International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology.

Mkhatshwa, T. (2022). Quantitative and covariational reasoning opportunities provided by calculus textbooks: The case of the derivative. International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology.

Mkhatshwa, T. (2022). A study of calculus students’ difficulties, approaches, and ability to solve multivariable optimization problems. International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, 53(11), 2987-3014.

Mkhatshwa, T. (2021). An investigation of students’ content understanding, perception changes, and experiences in a flipped precalculus course. Association for University Regional Campuses of Ohio Journal, 27, 41-73.

Mkhatshwa, T. (2020). Calculus students’ quantitative reasoning in the context of solving related rates of change problems. Mathematical Thinking and Learning, 22(2), 139-161.

Mkhatshwa, T., & Hoffman, T. (2019). Undergraduate students' experiences in different course formats: An exploratory study examining traditional and nontraditional student perceptions. Association for University Regional Campuses of Ohio Journal, 25, 148-159.

Mkhatshwa, T. (2019). Students’ quantitative reasoning about an absolute extrema optimization problem in a profit maximization context. International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, 50(8), 1105-1127.

Mkhatshwa, T., & Doerr, H. (2018). Undergraduate students' quantitative reasoning in economic contexts. Mathematical Thinking and Learning, 20(2), 142-161.

Selected Peer-reviewed Conference Proceedings

Mkhatshwa, T. (2024). A preliminary investigation of calculus students' understanding of graphical optimization. In Kosko, K. W., Caniglia, J., Courtney, S. A., Zolfaghari, M., & Morris, G. A. (Eds), Proceedings of the 46th Annual Conference of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (pp. 897-902). Cleveland, Ohio.

Mkhatshwa, T. (2023). Opportunities to learn provided by a commonly used business calculus textbook. In Cook, S., Katz, B., & Moore-Russo, D. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 25^th Annual Conference on Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education (pp. 1321-1322). Omaha, Nebraska.

Mkhatshwa, T. (2022). Exploring students’ problem posing abilities and difficulties in differential equations. In Karunakaran, S. S., & Higgins, A. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 24^th Annual Conference on Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education (pp. 1254-1255). Boston, Massachusetts.

Mkhatshwa, T. (2020). A quantitative reasoning study of student-reported difficulties when solving related rates problems. In Sacristán, A.I., Cortés-Zavala, J.C. & Ruiz-Arias, P.M. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 42^nd Annual Conference of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (pp. 991-995). Mazatlán, Mexico.

Mkhatshwa, T. (2020). Students’ understanding of partial derivatives. In Karunakaran, S. S., Reed, Z., & Higgins, A. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 23^rd Annual Conference on Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education (pp. 430-439). Boston, Massachusetts.

Mkhatshwa, T. P. (2019). An exploratory study of calculus students’ understanding of multivariable optimization problems. In Jankvist, U. T., Van den Heuvel-Panhuizen, M., & Veldhuis, M. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 11^th Congress of the European Society for Research in Mathematics Education (pp. 2606-2613). Utrecht, Netherlands.

Mkhatshwa, T. (2019). A quantitative reasoning perspective on students’ understanding of differentials: An exploratory study. In Otten, S., Candela, A. G., de Araujo., Z., Haines, C., & Munter, C. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 41^st Annual Conference of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (pp. 882-886). St. Louis, Missouri.

Mkhatshwa, T. (2018). Business calculus students’ interpretations of marginal change in economic contexts. In Hodges, T. E., Roy, G. J., & Tyminski, A. M. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 40^th Annual Conference of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (pp. 564-571). Greenville, South Carolina.

Mkhatshwa, T., & Jones, S. R. (2018). A study of calculus students’ solution strategies when solving related rates of change problems. In Weinberg, Rasmussen, Rabin, Wawro, & Brown (Eds.), Proceedings of the 21^st Annual Conference on Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education (pp. 408-415). San Diego, California.

Mkhatshwa, T. (2017). Undergraduate students’ reasoning about marginal change in a profit maximization context: The case of Carlos and Mark. In E. Galindo & J. Newton (Eds.), Proceedings of the 39^th Annual Conference of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (pp. 761-764). Indianapolis, Indiana.

Mkhatshwa, T., & Doerr, H. M. (2017). Students’ quantitative reasoning in a revenue maximization context. In Weinberg, Rasmussen, Rabin, Wawro, & Brown (Eds.), Proceedings of the 20^th Annual Conference on Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education (pp. 755-762). San Diego, California.

Mkhatshwa, T., & Doerr, H. M. (2016). Opportunity to learn solving context-based tasks provided by business calculus textbooks: An exploratory study. In T. Fukawa-Connelly, N. Infante, M. Wawro, & S. Brown (Eds.), Proceedings of the 19^th Annual Conference on Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education (pp. 1124-1132). Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Mkhatshwa, T. P., & Doerr, H. M. (2015). Students’ understanding of marginal change in the context of cost, revenue, and profit. In Krainer, K., & Vondrová, N. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 9^th Congress of the European Society for Research in Mathematics Education (pp. 2201-2206). Prague, Czech Republic.

Mkhatshwa, T., & Doerr, H. (2015). Students’ reasoning about marginal change in an economic context. In T. Fukawa-Connelly (Ed.), Proceedings of the 18^th Annual Conference on Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education (pp. 772-773). Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.