Twenty-fifth International Conference on Learning

Abstract

Misconceptions and errors in mathematical thinking are often confused. Although they are generally similar in that they make students achieve incorrect solutions, they are actually very different notions. An error can range from being a miscalculation to an incorrect misunderstanding of the problem being asked. On the other hand, a misconception occurs when a mathematical premise or rule is incorrectly generalized. An example of a misconception can be found when students write 0.10 is greater than 0.9. The root of the misconception is related to their prior correct knowledge of 10 is greater than 9. The symbolic decimal does not make sense to some students for different reasons. The significant of this study is to help teachers truly understand student’s thinking in solving problems related to the topics being addressed. As a result, they will be better able to make the mathematics make sense to their students. Understanding students thinking will enable the teachers to understand what level of mathematics the students have already mastered and where to go next with specific concepts. This is increasingly necessary as many of our mathematics teachers in primary and junior grades have little training in mathematics. The data gathered for this study are from the students’ math test results and scratch paper in primary and junior levels. The solution and the discerned steps to arrive at the solution to each test item on the students’ tests are examined to detect possible misunderstandings or misconceptions may take place. The information gives some background knowledge on common stumbling blocks for students which lead to a greater understanding of how teachers can assist students appropriately. Using some of the examples of misconceptions from the students’ work, detection, deconstruction and correction techniques of the misconception are suggested and discussed in this study. The findings suggest that misconceptions are not procedural errors. But they are resided in students’ conceptions and are believed to be correct. The information provided in this study could be of value to the teachers and educators of mathematics programs. However, this study should be extended to include a large population and many more grade levels to determine the common roots and characteristics of different misconceptions in all the strands of mathematics.