COLLEGE STUDENT’S ERROR ANALYSIS BASED ON THEIR MATHEMATICAL CONNECTIONS ON GRAPH REPRESENTATION

Abstract

This study is investigates the college student’s errors on their graph representations making based on the mathematical connections indicators. Pilot studies were conducted with 4 college students of middle to high ability in Graph Theory class. Data analyze revealed that top 3 subject’s errors are 1) Finding the relations of a representations to it’s concepts and procedures, 2) Applying mathematics in other sciences or real life problems, and 3) Finding relations among procedures of the equivalent representations. Their lack of graph concepts understanding and it’s connections plays the major role in their errors. They failed at recognizing and choosing the suitable properties of graph which able to detect the error of their graph representation. So, in order to decrease college student errors in graph representations, we need to strengthen their basic concepts and its connections.