Quadratic equations are a notorious topic for the challenge it provides to students in secondary mathematics. Despite this, there is limited research, particularly in the Australian context, that explains why such challenges persist. This article details the causes of Year 11 students' difficulties in solving quadratic equations. Observing…

We report on an innovative design of algorithmic analysis that supports automatic online assessment of students' exploration of geometry propositions in a dynamic geometry environment. We hypothesized that difficulties with and misuse of terms or logic in conjectures are rooted in the early exploration stages of inquiry. We developed a generic…

Despite statistics learning becoming more important during this information explosion era, many students still deem the subject complex and challenging. Measures of dispersion, a critical component of statistical knowledge that students often struggle with, have received little attention in research on statistics education. The goal of this study…

To improve students' mathematics achievement, their errors should be treated as an opportunity to stimulate conceptual and procedural understanding. Using a teaching scenario, this study investigated 40 high school teachers' analyses of and responses to a student error(s) in solving a quadratic equation by using the factoring method. The teachers'…

The present study explored 285 11th-grade students' preconceptions, misconceptions, and errors in solving mathematics tasks by graphical method. A descriptive-explorative study design was adopted. Cluster sampling was used to select students from sampled secondary schools in eastern and central Uganda. Students' paper and pen solution sketches…

This article describes a carefully structured exploration of formative assessment, conducted in the form of a classroom research experiment. The authors are an instructor and a student in a graduate course that assigned teachers to research formative assessment strategies, implement one or more strategies for several weeks, collect data from…

Researchers and instructors have only recently embraced the role of errors as vehicles for learning in the algebra classroom. Studying a mixture of correct and incorrect worked examples has been shown to be beneficial relative to correct worked examples alone. This study examines the effectiveness of having students generate, or anticipate, errors…

The International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) Research for Education series represents a further effort by IEA to capitalize on it's unique datasets, so as to provide powerful information for policymakers and researchers. Each report focuses on a specific topic and is produced by a dedicated team of leading…

Recent research on the phenomenon of improper proportional reasoning focused on students' understanding of elementary functions and their external representations. So far, the role of basic function properties in students' concept images of functions remained unclear. We add to this research line by investigating how accurate students are in…

It is well known that learner performance in mathematics in South Africa is poor. However, less is known about what learners actually do and the extent to which this changes as they move through secondary school mathematics. In this study a cohort of 250 learners was tracked from Grade 9 to Grade 11 to investigate changes in their performance on a…

This study investigates how students in England and Shanghai understand linear function. Understanding is defined theoretically in terms of five hierarchical levels: Dependent Relationship; Connecting Representations; Property Noticing; Object Analysis; and Inventising. A pilot study instrument presented a set of problems to both cohorts, showing…

The aim of this study is to identify the mistakes made by ninth grade students in the subject of functions and reveal the reasons for these mistakes. In line with this purpose, the case study method, which is among the qualitative research methods, was used in the study. The study group of the research was composed of 52 Anatolian ninth grade…

This paper examines the factors that hinder students' success in working with and understanding the mathematics of quadratic equations using a case study analysis of student error patterns. Twenty-five Year 11 students were administered a written test to examine their understanding of concepts and procedures associated with this topic. The…

The purpose of this research was to explore to what extent probing learners' errors on simplifying algebraic fractions would help them to reduce those errors. The study assumed that students' errors and misconceptions persist because they handle mathematical concepts as if they were isolated chunks of knowledge. A sample of 15 grade 10 girls took…

To improve mathematics achievement, students' errors should be treated as a source to stimulate their understanding of the conceptual and procedural basis of their errors. The study investigated 20 Chinese and 20 U.S. high school teachers' interpretations and responses to a student's errors in solving a quadratic equation. The teachers' responses…