Work

Mathematical equivalence and grade 6 students’ errors

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Previous research has stressed the importance of a good understanding of mathematical equivalence. However, despite decades of research, we still do not know to what degree the theory of operational understanding can explain errors. In this paper, children’s understanding of mathematical equivalence is studied using answers (n = 1608) and written solutions (n = 340) to a large-scale test. We identified tasks within the test designed to assess mathematical equivalence and first studied the consistency. Then, we did a qualitative analysis focused on error characteristics in the students’ answers. The results show that a large portion of the errors can be explained by an operational understanding, interpreted as grave errors. One conclusion is that most errors can be explained by the theoretical concept “operational view”. However, further quantitative analysis shows a considerable variation in the response rate, indicating students have both an operational and a relational understanding.

Source: Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research

DOI: 10.1080/00313831.2025.2550274

Authors: Lovisa Sumpter, Anneli Blomqvist, Anette Nydahl, Samuel Sollerman

Institution: Stockholm University

Language: English

Topic: Mathematics Education and Teaching Techniques

Subfield: Education

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Quality education

Open Access status: hybrid

Funder: Vetenskapsrådet