Looking for a pattern: Error analysis as a diagnostic assessment for making instructional decisions to promote academic success

Abstract

We examined the type of errors on multiplication and division computation problems of 326 rising fifth graders enrolled in four elementary schools in Northern Portugal. We further examined whether there was a difference in the number of errors across age and whether there was an association between students’ performance on number knowledge and multiplication and division computation problems. Error analysis of students’ responses indicated that miscalculation and no attempt to solve the problem were the two most frequent error types. We found that older students made more errors compared to younger students. We argue that knowledge of individual student error types is critical to making sound instructional decisions. Based on the results of the present study, we discuss implications for future research and classroom practice.

Keywords:

• Assessment
• division
• error analysis
• instruction
• multiplication

Disclosure statement

There are no potential conflicts of interest with respect of the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Additional information

Funding

This research was sponsored by a research award to the second author from the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program.

Notes on contributors

Lucia M. Tabacu

Dr. Lucia M. Tabacu is an associate professor of statistics at Old Dominion University.

Silvana Maria Watson

Dr. Silvana M. R. Watson is a professor of special education at Old Dominion University.

Laura C. Chezar

Dr. Laura C. Chezan is an associate professor of special education at Old Dominion University.

Robert Gable

Dr. Robert Gable is an emminent professor of special education at Old Dominion University.

Célia R. Oliveira

Dr. Célia R. Oliveira is an associate professor of psychology at the Universidade Lusófona de Porto, Portugal.

João Lopes

Dr. João Lopes is a professor of psychology at the Universidade de Minho, Porto, Portugal.