THE APPLICATION OF DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS IN A CAPITALIZATION PROCESS: A PROPOSED CLASSROOM INVESTIGATION

Abstract

The objective of this work is to demonstrate how the applications of differential calculus in everyday situations can be simple and carry great potential to make the teaching of calculus more meaningful for students. We aim to highlight factors and practices that contribute to the absorption of knowledge within a proposed applied calculus framework, in this case, to a compound capitalization process. Thus, this article emerged from a classroom discussion where the applications of differential equations were being discussed with students. We seek to highlight factors that enable the real absorption of content, where the assimilation process is effective and not merely mechanical and laden with formalism. Based on a student’s suggestion, we applied the knowledge involving differential equations. Taking advantage of the richness of that moment of discussion, situation modeling, and problem-solving, we suggest that during the teaching of calculus, teachers allocate time for practical work on the use of calculus, especially real problems with an investigative bias. Through this experience, we can affirm that it is possible to make the teaching of calculus, through methodologies that aim to work with applications that potentially fit into the student's reality, meaningful and supportive of the understanding of the studied knowledge, being a strong ally of the work developed in the area of differential calculus.