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

Publications

Selected Peer-reviewed Journal Publications  

Mkhatshwa, T. (2025). An examination of calculus students’ quantitative and covariational reasoning in the context of differentials. Teaching Mathematics and Its Applications: An International Journal of the IMA.

Mkhatshwa, T. (2025). Taking a leaf from experts on effective instructional approaches related to the teaching of optimization problems in calculus. Association for University Regional Campuses of Ohio Journal, 31, 90-116.

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: An 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.