Incorrect Thinking Process Prediction for Negative Numbers Subtraction Operation Involving Positive with Negative Integers
Abstract
ABSTRACT
This study was divided into two parts. The first part was to identify the incorrect answer produced by the respondents for each item and its frequency. Then, the second part was to predict the incorrect thinking process with respect to its frequencies that respondent might have adapted in solving such sentence questions incorrectly. The respondents of this study were five mathematics teachers and 124 students aged 14 years old from Malaysian secondary school. The finding shows types of mistakes made by the students for each type of items tested and the prediction of incorrect thinking process respectively. This paper focused on the third category: subtraction operation involving positive with negative integers. The findings revealed that in depth analysis into the students thinking process is an essential knowledge for teachers to re-assess their teaching and correct students their misconceptions.
Keywords: Negative numbers, subtraction, predict, teaching and learning mathematics
ABSTRAK
Kajian ini dibahagikan kepada dua bahagian. Bahagian pertama mengenal pasti kesilapan-kesilapan jawapan yang diberikan oleh responden untuk setiap item dan kekerapannya. Kemudian, bahagian kedua meramal kesilapan proses pemikiran responden yang memungkinkan responden mencapai penyelesaian yang salah dengan berdasarkan kekerapannya. Responden kajian ini adalah lima orang guru Matematik dan 124 murid berusia 14 tahun daripada sekolah menengah di Malaysia. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan jenis-jenis kesilapan yang dilakukan oleh murid untuk setiap item yang dikaji serta ramalan proses kesilapan pemikiran murid. Kertas ini berfokus kepada kategori ketiga: operasi penolakan integer positif dengan negatif. Dapatan kajian menunjukan bahawa analisis yang terperinci ke dalam proses pemikiran murid adalah ilmu yang penting untuk guru dalam mentafsir semula pengajaran mereka dan memperbetulkan miskonsepsi murid.
Kata kunci: Nombor negative, penolakan, meramal, pengajaran dan pembelajaran matematik
