Student Misconceptions and Errors in Physics and Mathematics: Exploring Data from TIMSS and TIMSS Advanced. IEA Research for Education. Volume 9

The International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) Research for Education series represents a further effort by IEA to capitalize on it's unique datasets, so as to provide powerful information for policymakers and researchers. Each report focuses on a specific topic and is produced by a dedicated team of leading scholars on the theme in question. This ninth volume in the series addresses student misconceptions and errors in physics and mathematics. Student error is fertile ground for research and can yield rich material for pedagogical improvement. IEA has long espoused the benefits of error analysis, and many countries have conducted error analyses of national datasets within the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). This book reports on a study that examined student misconceptions and errors across education systems and over time. Specifically, it draws on 20 years of data (1995-2015) from TIMSS at grades four and eight, and from TIMSS Advanced (grade 12), looking at five countries (Italy, Norway, Russian Federation, Slovenia, and the USA) that participated in TIMSS across the 20-year period. To permit in-depth focus, the study is restricted to one topic in physics (gravity) and one in mathematics (linear equations); these topics were chosen because they were covered in increasing depth across the grades, and assessment items were available for them within each of the three assessments. This book will be a valuable resource for teachers and teacher educators on how best to teach these topics so as to enhance student learning. Moreover, the methodology deployed here can be used to investigate student misconceptions and errors in a variety of other topics. This book contains the following chapters: (1) An Introduction to Student Misconceptions and Errors in Physics and Mathematics; (2) Review of Research into Misconceptions and Misunderstandings in Physics and Mathematics; (3) Methodology Used to Analyze Student Misconceptions, Errors, and Misunderstandings in TIMSS; (4) Results for Student Misconceptions, Errors, and Misunderstandings in Physics and Mathematics; and (5) Conclusions About Using TIMSS and TIMSS Advanced Data to Explore Student Misconceptions, Errors, and Misunderstandings in Physics and Mathematics. [For Volume 8, see ED599017.]