A metacognitive approach to students’ preconceptions concerning solving linear equations in one variable

• Main Author: Bunag, Esmeralda S.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2011
• Subjects: Metacognition; Equations; Mathematics—Study and teaching; Science and Mathematics Education
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/6489; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/etd_masteral/article/12936/viewcontent/CDTG004892_P.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

This study examined how a metacognitive approach to addressing student errors or preconceptions in mathematics may prove helpful to teachers and more importantly, to learners. The investigation employed the IMPROVE Approach of Mevarech and Kramarski (1997). It forwards the idea that by explicitly giving attention to the preconceptions of the students and errors may serve as opportunities for learning. A pre-test was administered to ascertain the errors of the students in solving linear equations in one variable. On the basis of the identified and observed errors, a learning plan employing the IMPROVE Approach was developed and conducted. It featured two different sets of activities that were designed to examine conceptual changes of the learners towards the correction of their errors as shown in the pre-test results. At the end of the lesson, a post-test was conducted to identify which errors of the learners have been corrected. The comparison of pre-test and post-test results shows that there is a decrease in the number of learners who committed the following types of errors: (a) on properties: wrong justification and not attempting to answer the question; (b) on solving equations: insufficient explanation, wrong explanation, wrong sum/difference/product/quotient, correct procedure-wrong solution, no procedure-wrong solution, wrong choice-wrong reason, and not attempting to answer the question; and (c) on problem solving: not attempting to answer the question. On the basis of the results, it is recommended that teachers adopt metacognitive approaches to addressing learners‘ errors to facilitate more meaningful learning.