Students’ errors in solving linear equation word problems: Case study of a Ghanaian senior high school

The study examined errors students make in solving linear equation word problems with a view to expose the nature of these errors and to make suggestions for classroom teaching. A diagnostic test comprising 10 linear equation word problems, was administered to a sample (n=130) of senior high school first year Home Economics and General Arts students in a senior high school in the Central Region of Ghana. The errors students made were identified based on the modified Newman Error Hierarchical levels (NEAL), which comprise reading, comprehension, transformation, process skills and encoding errors. The results revealed that majority (60%) of the students attempted most of the questions with a few (2%) arriving at the correct answer which implies students have difficulties in tackling linear equation word problems. It revealed that about 75% of the students made comprehension errors; 86% made transformation errors which occurred during the translation of the statement to algebraic form; 84% made process skills errors which occurred during computation process, and finally 86% made encoding errors which occurred at the final stages of the work. The proportion of students reaching the encoding level was very few (< 30%). In conclusion, it can be argued from the results that students’ errors in solving linear equation word problems are due largely to their inability to comprehend and interpret the sentences in other to proceed to the process and encoding skills. Recommendations are made for supporting senior high school mathematics teachers in in-service education programmes to increase their efficacy in teaching linear equation word problems

Primary school mathematics teachers’ ideas, beliefs, and practices of constructivist instructional strategies

The study explored Ghanaian primary school mathematics teachers’ ideas, beliefs and practices of constructivist instructional strategies (CIS). The design for the study was a sequential exploratory design, comprising two hundred and fifty-two (252) mathematics teachers (126 lower primary teachers and 126 upper primary teachers), who were purposively selected from school districts in the Upper East region. The qualitative data consisted of interview responses and lesson observations. The quantitative data consisting mainly of teachers’ responses to 3-point Likert scale questionnaire items, helped to investigate relationship in two quantitative variables. The results indicated that through CIS pupils were able to construct their own understanding, and were willing to follow a learner-centred method of instruction. Additionally, teachers became aware of social interaction and authentic learning tasks, two aspects of CIS. It was also determined that as teachers’ perceptions of CIS increased, their frequency of use of selected CIS correspondingly increased. The implications of this study are that mathematics teachers should be provided with resources that would enable them to teach using CIS. To forestall this, in-service and professional development programmes should continually be organized for teachers to keep them abreast of CIS