Exploring student misconceptions and errors in physics and mathematics across grade levels using data from TIMSS and TIMSS Advanced

• In Event: Diagnostic Studies Using TIMSS and TIMSS Advanced Assessment Data

Proposal

With the increasing emphasis on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and careers, it is important to identify the types of student misconceptions and errors that persist by the end of secondary school. Further, understanding how misconceptions and errors at higher grades relate to a lack of foundational understanding at earlier grades is important for many stakeholders in science and mathematics education, including classroom teachers, teacher educators, policymakers, and researchers. A recent study conducted for the IEA Research for Education Series used 20 years of data from TIMSS and TIMSS Advanced (1995-2015) to explore students’ understanding of two core topics—gravity in physics and linear equations (or relationships) in mathematics. It examines patterns of student misconceptions and errors related to these topics in five countries (Italy, Norway, the Russian Federation, Slovenia, and the United States) across three grade levels (4, 8, and 12).

This presentation describes results using item-level performance data from TIMSS and TIMSS Advanced to answer three research questions related to students’ understanding of gravity and linear equations (or relationships): (1) What are common types of student misconceptions and errors in grades 4, 8, and 12 and how do they compare across countries? (2) How do student misconceptions and errors differ by gender? (3) How persistent are patterns in misconceptions and errors over time? Based on their level of participation in TIMSS and TIMSS Advanced assessments from 1995 to 2015, five countries were selected for the study (Italy, Norway, Slovenia, the Russian Federation, and the United States). The methodology consists of three major components: (1) review of the TIMSS and TIMSS Advanced assessment frameworks and content mapping to identify the set of items at each grade level measuring the selected topics in our study—gravity and linear equations (or relationships); (2) evaluation of diagnostic item-level performance data to identify the specific performance objectives measured by these items and to provide evidence of specific types of misconceptions, errors, and misunderstandings; and (3) analyses of item-level statistics (percentages of students who provided the correct answer or demonstrate specific misconceptions and errors) to report patterns across countries by grade level, gender, and assessment year (for trend items that were administered in multiple assessment cycles).

Results show how students in each country performed on items measuring understandings of gravity and linear equations (or relationships); describe common student misconceptions and errors at each grade level (illustrated with example items); and discuss patterns in misconceptions and errors across countries. The frequency of specific types of student misconceptions and errors at each grade level varied across the five countries but were generally common (from at least 25 percent to more than half of students on average). Gender differences were found at all three grade levels but were more extensive in physics than in mathematics. Trend items administered in multiple assessment years indicated that the frequency of certain student misconceptions and errors decreased over time, while the frequency of others increased.

Author

• Teresa A Neidorf, American Institutes for Research