M.Ed. (Subject Didactics) / The ideal in education is that the curriculum provided (by the teacher) and the curriculum received (by the pupil), as originally drafted by the designers, should agree. However, there are indications that this ideal is often not achieved in the teaching of Mathematics, the reason being, inter alia, the backlog in the subject arising from inadequate knowledge as a result of misconceptions in regard to certain basic concepts. Misconceptions among pupils indicate that the shaping of understanding and mastering the concepts have been inadequate. It should be kept in mind that frame of reference and world view are peculiar to each pupil and will be utilized by him for interpreting and processing new concepts. It is therefore essential that the world view of the pupil should be investigated as being the factor which is probably basic to the problem of misconception. The point of departure is therefore that pupils have divergent world views, which invariably affect their understanding of Mathematics. Throughout the ages misconceptions were inextricably part of natural science in general and Mathematics in particular. During modern times, since the 1960s, Boyd has paved the way for reflection regarding misconceptions in natural scientific teaching by using the term "unfounded beliefs", and the attention was actively drawn to the problems surrounding misconceptions. Terms now mostly used as synonyms for misconceptions are conceptual framework, alternative frameworks, and alternative conceptions...
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uj/uj:12195 |
| Date | 01 September 2014 |
| Creators | Stofberg, Francois Jacobus |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | University of Johannesburg |
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