Classification of middle school students’ mistakes:mistake types

The aim of this study was to classify the types of mistakes and to stress their importance in teaching and learning process. Mistakes have been ignored in behavioral theories. And only misconceptions have been investigated as mistakes in cognitive theories. Yet, mistakes are regarded as an inevitable part of the learning and an important opportunity for learning in constructivist approach. However, it is seen that understanding the mistake well contributes to form an efficient student-centered learning environment enabling to give right feedbacks. In this study which the types of mistake are aimed to be listed, 260 Maths classes in the 6th, 7th and 8th grades of the primary school have been observed and then a 30 hours observation is analyzed in detail. The research is a case study; it isn’t aimed at making generalization. Considering the data collection and analysis, the study is a qualitative one. In the study, the mistakes are classified into 4 main groups. It is expected that informing the teacher and the student teachers about the types of mistakes will contribute to creation of student centered environments more effectively.