Results for student misconceptions, errors, and misunderstandings in physics and mathematics

Abstract

Diagnostic item-level student performance data from twenty years of TIMSS and TIMSS Advanced assessments can be used to explore students’ level of understanding of gravity and linear equations across grades four, eight, and the final year of secondary school (TIMSS Advanced students). Sets of assessment items at each grade level illustrate the nature and extent of student misconceptions, errors, and misunderstandings across grade levels in five countries (Italy, Norway, the Russian Federation, Slovenia, and the United States). The results include assessment of how students in each country performed on the set of items measuring understanding of the physics and mathematics concepts explored in this study (gravity and linear equations); common types of student misconceptions, errors, and misconceptions across grade levels in each country; patterns in misconceptions, errors, and misunderstandings across countries; and gender differences in the frequency of misconceptions, errors, and misunderstandings in each country. The frequency of specific types of student misconceptions, errors, and misunderstandings at each grade level varied across the five countries. Gender differences were found at all three grade levels, but were more extensive for physics than mathematics. Trend items administered in multiple assessment years indicated that the frequency of certain student misconceptions, errors, and misunderstandings decreased over time, while the frequency of others increased.