An Investigation of 10th Graders’ Misconceptions about Literal Symbols in Mathematics

Abstract

The research has explored the conceptions that Grade 10 students have of the literal symbols in mathematics and the possible differences in these conceptions based on gender. Quantitative descriptive-comparative research design was adopted and a sample of 1,000 pupils of the public secondary schools was selected by proportional stratified random sampling. The Questionnaire on Literal Symbols (QLS) was used to collect the data evaluating the comprehension of the definition, properties, and use of literal symbols by the students. The results indicated that the students had an average knowledge in all areas and slightly higher levels of knowledge in properties than in definition and application. Gender analysis showed that there were slight differences with female students showing a slight advantage in the properties and application and male students showing a slight advantage in the understanding of definitions although they were not found to be statistically significant. These findings suggest the necessity of teaching methods that focus on the cognitive knowledge, practical examples that engage the context, and teaching methods that are based on the assessment of both reasoning and the procedural abilities. The application of special teaching methods and teacher improvement can increase the level of algebraic reasoning, problem-solving, and general mathematical ability in students.