Student noticing of exponential and power functions in university financial mathematics

Exponential functions are critical for university study of financial mathematics, yet they persist as a challenging mathematical topic within finance and in the mathematics classroom. My research examines students' initial conceptions of exponential functions and student noticing regarding exponential functions in an inquiry-oriented instructional sequence taght in a university mathematical bridging course. My analysis identifies a strong tendency for students to initially not distinguish between power functions and exponential function, but, with carefully designed tasks, students were able to identify the characteristics of exponential and power functions that make these types of functions distinct.