Arab Educational Information Network

This study sought to identify Math misconceptions commonly held by Primary 4th graders and how to be treated. The cluster sample (N=300, M=180, F=120) was randomly selected from eight classrooms; males purely dominated five classrooms, and three classrooms were purely females. Frequencies and percentages of participant responses on the achievement test were used. Results revealed that misconceptions held by students can be accounted for by the basic methods followed by teachers when they deliver their teaching of arithmetic operations, numbers and related operations to students; lack of prerequisite skills and concepts; lack of instructional aids used in classroom; difficulty of such skills and concepts; student distraction and giving no or little attention to teacher's display. The study revealed a set of misconceptions held by primary 4th graders including number ordering, comparing, addition, subtraction, rounding, approximation, comparing different kinds of fractions. The study emphasized using models and physical instructional aids if mathematical skills, particularly arithmetic skills are to be effectively learned. (Published Abstract)