Students’ Misconceptions In Middle School Mathematics

Abstract

Middle school is a significant period in students’ mathematical development, a period in which they crystallize their understanding of mathematical concepts and procedures and make the unconscious decision as to whether or not they will be successful in math. This is also a point in students’ learning in which misconceptions are born, and if gone unnoticed, these can continue with a stu- dent into high school and cause confusion as new concepts are built upon their middle school foundations. However, like an ailment, if caught early these mis- conceptions can be treated and students’ mathematical understanding can be reconstructed. The objective behind my research was to create an informative resource intended for teachers of middle school mathematics, which identifies common mathematical misconceptions exhibited by students. My intention is to equip educators with valuable information so that they can begin to rebuild students’ conceptions of specific mathematical content areas and prevent cer- tain misconceptions from occurring or continuing in their students.