Learning from errors: effects of teachers training on studentsâ attitudes towards and their individual use of errors

Constructive error handling is considered an important factor for individual learning processes. In a quasi-experimental study with Grades 6 to 9 students, we investigate effects on students’ attitudes towards errors as learning opportunities in two conditions: an error-tolerant classroom culture, and the first condition along with additional teaching of strategies for analyzing errors. Our findings show positive effects of the error-tolerant classroom culture on the affective level, whereas students are not influenced by the cognitive support. There is no evidence for differential effects for student groups with different attitudes towards errors

Meta-scientific reflection of undergraduate students: is mathematics a natural science?

Reflecting on the nature of mathematics is an important activity for undergraduate students. To analyse students’ reflection, we address the questions how students categorize mathematics in the system of scientific disciplines and what arguments they use to support their decision, in particular. In an online-survey, we implemented two open-ended items to gather information about the meta-scientific reflection of 296 undergraduate students enrolled in a mathematics-related study program. By analysing students’ answers, we identified nine subthemes that can be grouped in three themes: (1) the content, (2) the method, and (3) the purpose of mathematics. Most of the students concentrated on only one of the three themes. Based on these results, we discuss in which way prompts can support students’ meta-scientific reflection

Development of attitudes during the transition to university mathematics – different for students who drop out?

Students’ attitudes are assumed to play a big role for successful learning processes and to differ substantially between students. To gain a better insight in which way attitudes at the start of a mathematics study program and their development influence study dropout, we asked 219 students to state their interest in university mathematics and their mathematical self-concept at the start of their studies and six weeks later. Applying a cluster analysis, we identified four development profiles which differ in both attitudes at the start of their studies and in the development of both attitudes. The dropout rate among students with different profiles ranged from 7 % to 44 %, highlighting that the development of attitudes in the first semester is of major importance for a successful start

Wahrgenommene Fehlerkultur und individueller Umgang mit Fehlern

Es wird eine Interventionsstudie mit 32 Klassen der Sekundarstufe I zum Lernen aus Fehlern vorgestellt. Dabei wurden zwei Interventionen über ein halbes Jahr implementiert. Während die erste die Schaffung eines fehlertoleranten Lernklimas anstrebte, wurden in der zweiten zusätzlich auf der kognitiven Ebene Strategien zum Umgang mit Fehlern behandelt. In dem Vortrag werden Effekte zur Veränderung der wahrgenommenen Fehlerkultur und des individuellen Umgangs mit Fehlern von Lernenden diskutiert