Journal of Emerging Trends in Educational Research and Policy Studies: Home

Abstract:
This article presents findings of a study on algebraic fractions in South Africa, Eastern Cape Province. The study analyses selected grade 10 learners' performances in algebraic fractions and explore the mistakes made by these learners. The subjects of this study consisted of 136 grade 10 high school mathematics learners from the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. They wrote a test on algebraic fractions made up of twelve questions. The study used four cognitive levels demand assessment tasks suggested in the TIMSS study (1999). The test consisted of two knowledge questions, four routine procedural questions, four complex procedural questions, and two problem-solving questions. In data analysis, descriptor code keys were used. When the learners' overall performances were considered for all twelve questions, the results showed that learners� conceptual understanding of simplifying algebraic fractions was severely flawed. The results of the study showed that conceptual, mathematical language, procedural and application errors hinder learners' appropriate understanding as well as the application of algebraic fractions. Notable among the four errors were conceptual and procedural errors that seemed to permeate attempts that learners made to simplify algebraic fractions. It was concluded that identification of errors and efforts made by teachers to minimize misconceptions that learners display when simplifying algebraic fraction could have a positive influence on their performance.

Keywords: learners' errors, misconceptions, conceptual error, mathematical language error and algebraic fractions

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