PME-NA

Types of Students' Errors In Trigonometry: Tangent Concept

• In Event: Poster Session #2

Description

Many studies have highlighted students' difficulties with trigonometry topics (e.g., Dewanto et al., 2017). Since addressing misconceptions is crucial for educators (Chua et al., 2016), analyzing errors can help identify their causes and guide instruction (Borasi, 1987). This study explored 37 10th grade students' errors in tangent and cotangent concepts in a real-world context, based on Movshovitz-Hadar et al.'s (1987) model. It further investigated the root causes of incorrect answers for those who used the correct formula. Findings revealed that issues with solving fraction equations, multiplying decimal numbers, using negative sign, and identifying unknown led to incorrect answers. Recommendations for teachers were provided.

Authors

• Seyedehkhadijeh Azimi Asmaroud, Virginia State University

• Azam Sadat Emadi, University of Mazandaran