Analysis of Students’ Error in Solving Quadratic Equations Using Newman’s Procedure

Abstract

The objectives of this study are to determine the type of errors made by the students when solving the problems related to quadratic equations and to identify the factors that lead students to make these errors in the test. The type of error is based on Newman Error Analysis that includes reading type error, comprehension error, transformation error, process skill error and encoding error. A diagnostic test was used as the instrument of this study and a semi-structured interview was used to identify the causes of students' committing such errors from the perspective of the students themselves. The samples were made up of 30 Form Four students from a secondary school in Malaysia. Data was analysed using descriptive statistic and qualitative content analysis. The findings showed that most students make errors in transformation and comprehension while the number of students who make encoding errors was small and there were no reading errors found. Based on test results, interviews were conducted among three students with different levels of understanding. The main reason students make errors in solving quadratic equations is a lack of understanding of the basic concepts and the learning styles. Teacher and student must understand the importance to eliminate these errors in solving quadratic equation which will give huge impact to the students’ learning mathematics in the future.