Students' difficulties in differentiating the direct proportion and inverse proportion problems cause interference. Proactive interference is the error that occurs when old information (concept of direct proportion) interferes with new information (concept of inverse proportion). In solving the problem of inverse proportion, students often use the…

This research investigates errors and misconceptions among learners in algebraic education by utilizing Koch's error analysis method alongside the Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome (SOLO) taxonomy. The primary aim of the investigation is to discern the kinds of errors and cognitive stages demonstrated by Grade 9 students when engaged in…

The authors developed an instructional nudges as part of a larger research project. These instructional nudges are designed to be small but powerful changes to teachers' existing practices. Some instructional nudges focus on modifying tasks used in classrooms. In this article, the authors share Rate and Review. The goal of Rate and Review is to…

Intellectual risk-taking, the act of engaging in learning by contributing an idea, question, or creative thought regardless of potential errors or judgments, is associated with many positive student outcomes; however, there is limited guidance on how to create an environment in which students feel empowered to be courageous in this way. In the…

Error analysis is an instructional strategy that can assist teachers to identify learners' areas of weakness in mathematics and that can point to remediation of those errors. This article explores the errors learners exhibit when solving quadratic equations by completing the square using Newman's Error Analysis Model. A research study explored the…

This study aimed to provide a deeper understanding of high school students' errors while solving genetics problems. Four students were asked to solve two genetics problems and participate in a modified think-aloud interview. Data from the interview, video clips of the problem-solving process, and test sheets were used to analyse participants'…

Problem-solving is an essential part of teaching, learning, and assessment of physics and mathematics. The continuing educational reforms have a deep impact on everyday teaching as well as working with talented students. In the Macedonian educational system, the curricula do not explicitly point out the connection between mathematics and physics,…

Many U.S. students possess only a weak knowledge of fraction arithmetic. I hypothesize that textbooks are a critical reason for students' poor performance on fraction arithmetic. This is not because of what textbooks contain but rather because of what they lack. Distributions of fraction arithmetic problems in textbooks are imbalanced, with…

Developing structure sense is an important part of learning algebra. We investigated learners' structure sense of algebraic expressions involving brackets. This led us to propose the constructs "surface structure" sense and "systemic structure" sense. Using a random sample of 58 Grade 10 learners scoring above 40% in a test, we…

In this article, we examine how 10th graders make use of different intertwined representations when solving algebraic word problems. It is structured in a quantitative phase, with 61 students and a subsequent follow-up case study with nine pairs of students. We found that drawings and tables, used as auxiliary representations within variants of…

We present action research of a problem posed as part of a multi-participant national (Israeli) test checking the mathematical knowledge of high school students at the ages of 16-17, where some of those who solved this problem made an error by using the converse to a well-known theorem, where the converse is not true. In order to examine the…

Although findings from cognitive science have suggested learning benefits of confronting errors (Metcalfe, 2017), they are not often capitalized on in many mathematics classrooms (Tulis, 2013). The current study assessed the effects of examples focused on either common mathematical misconceptions and errors or correct concepts and procedures on…

In numerous studies, intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs) have proven effective in helping students learn mathematics. Prior work posits that their effectiveness derives from efficiently providing eventually-correct practice opportunities. Yet, there is little empirical evidence on how learning processes with ITSs compare to other forms of…

Background: Providing students with worked out problem solutions is a beneficial instructional technique in STEM disciplines, and studying examples that have been worked out incorrectly may be especially helpful for reducing misconceptions in students with low prior content knowledge. However, past results are inconclusive and the effects of…

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…