LOGICO MATHEMATICS ASSIGNMENT

On “Error Analysis and Pedagogy”

Mansi Yadav (19/2129), B.El.Ed 3rd year

Language plays a strong role in mathematical understanding and often word

problems are considered a challenging aspect in mathematics.

Mathematics teachers need to have knowledge of their learners, which includes

knowledge of common difficulties, errors and misconceptions.

Children are not blank slates, they have their prior knowledge and some ideas or
concepts build on the same prior knowledge. Sometimes these errors and
misconceptions are a result of these pre developed concepts. In more recent years,
incorrect exercises have been introduced for the purpose of student-conducted error
analysis. Combining the use of correctly worked exercises with error analysis has led
researchers to posit increased mathematical understanding. Combining the use of
correctly worked exercises with error analysis has led researchers to posit increased
mathematical understanding.

Learning maths requires practice, and making mistakes is part of the process.There
are different types of maths errors that students make, and understanding how to
prevent them and how to learn from them is essential. Error analysis is a method
commonly used to identify the cause of student errors when they make
consistent mistakes. It is a process of reviewing a student's work and then looking
for patterns of misunderstanding. Errors in mathematics can be factual, procedural,
or conceptual, and may occur for a number of reasons.

According to New- man error analysis, errors are divided into these categories:

1. Reading ability error: can a child read a question?

a. word recognition
b. symbol recognition
2. Comprehension error: can a child understand the question?
a. general comprehension
b. understanding of specific terms and symbols
3. Transformation error: can a child select the mathematical process which is
required to obtain a solution.
4. Process skill error: can a child perform the mathematical operations
necessary for the task.
5. Encoding error: can a child write the answer in an acceptable form.
Apart from these five categories New-man also identified two more reasons for
errors conducted by children

1. Careless error due to low motivation: children could have correctly solved
the problem but had he tried? Also he could do all the steps but made a
careless error which is unlikely to be repeated.
2. Question form error (error from teacher’s side): a child makes an error
because of the way the problem has been presented- it may be vague for
example.

Development of Interview Schedule:

An interview Schedule is an important aspect of error analysis as it helps in knowing

the basic understanding of the learner about the concept.

Some important thing to be kept in mind:

1. Deal with the student in a humble manner.

2.used language should be easy.

3. Ask limited questions.

4.carefully listen to the student's idea/method he/she is using.

Interview schedule:

1.what do you know about addition, subtraction, multiplication and division?

2.Please read the given questions?

3.what the sign indicates in the given questions?

4.show me how are you going to do this question?

5.show me step by step?

Final interview:-

1. What do you know about addition, subtraction, multiplication and division?

When we add two things. For eg: 3+4 = 7

When we minus two numbers. For eg: 10-3 = 7

When we multiply two numbers with the help of tables. For eg: 2 X 3 = 6

They both couldn’t give the explanation. But they do the process.
 2. Please read the given questions?
3. They read all the questions (in English language) and couldn’t attempt even
one question. So in the worksheet, I wrote the translation of those questions
in Hindi.
4. After that, one of them, a boy named Himanshu, understood a little and was
still not doing anything. I asked to read aloud the question, he did. What do
you think we should use here? I murmured in a low voice “add”. Then I said
yes then “do it”. And then he did the calculation correctly.

He couldn’t tell the operation in multiplication word problem but for the rest of
the operation he sounded confused or I can say not confident enough but
repeatedly gave the right answers and then solved it correctly.

For the second child, a girl named Chhavi, after giving her the worksheet she
seemed blank. She couldn’t guess any operation but after telling her the
operation, she was able to solve the questions.

Here I can observe these errors listed below:

a. Comprehension error: both of them were not able to understand the

question in english as well as in hindi they seemed very confused.
They were able to read English as well as Hindi but were not able to
comprehend the questions.
b. Transformation error: one of them was confused about which
operation he should use in the given question. While the girl couldn’t
even guess the operation.

Analysis of the possible reasons for these errors and suggestions.

Maybe the teacher was not paying attention to them whether they understood or
not? Also they both seemed nervous and scared so they didn't ask their doubts in
the classroom. And nodded their heads with the rest of the class when the teacher
asked “ everybody understood this question”.

According to me, mathematics needs practice. So the possibility is high that they
don’t give enough time to practise those questions.

Teacher should give 3-4 questions daily as homework so that she can assess the
child's learning whether he/she understood the questions or not. Or she can also
give a worksheet in the class and observe the child's misconceptions and errors and
interview and guide him in the class only.

Here, I can see the role of language in mathematics as both of them recognize the
symbols and algorithms but couldn’t make sense of the language written both in
English as well as in Hindi. In the reading, language and mathematics by Robyn
zevenbergen he mentioned many barriers of language by which a child gets
confused. But here by translating the questions in hindi, I removed that possibility. So
in my opinion, it is difficult for them to make sense of these questions with the help of
reality. And they can’t understand basic English so they were not able to
comprehend questions in that particular language.

And while doing word problems in the classroom, teachers should start by using real
life based questions. And supporting those questions with concrete material. For eg:
ram have 5 pens, sita have 7 pens. How many pens they both have together. So the
teacher should show those 5 and 7 pens together with 12 pens in the classroom. I
use this method with my niece and then she is able to comprehend questions more
easily. Also practice and worksheets are important for mathematics.
In the 3rd question based on multiplication, Chavvi was adding 8 and 3. Then I
asked her the reason and she was not able to give any explanation. Then using
crayons I showed her the set of 3, 8 times. And then asked her to count and that was
24. Then I told her that in such types of questions we use multiplication. She
understood and did the 5th question on her own. So we can help children by helping
them understand that we use maths in daily life and they don’t have to necessarily
do it abstractly.

In general, the teacher and students found the use of error analysis to be beneficial
in the learning process.

References:

● Readings: language and mathematics, error analysis framework by New-man

● Worksheet questions were opted by pvt publications second standard maths
book. I modified a few questions (replacing known words, eg: I replaced word
aquarium with pond)
● https://fieldsmathed.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40928-018-0009-y