Förstå gymnasieelevers begreppsförståelse – Operationer med negativa tal

Abstract

The purpose of this essay is to give insight to how teachers can increase their competence when it comes to understanding a pupil’s understanding. Therefore my two main questions are: How do upper secondary school students understand calculation(s) with negative numbers? And how can a teacher become better at understanding a pupils understanding in the forms of thinking and communicating? To answer these two questions I have analyzed four groups of students while they were performing calculations with negative numbers. The students were filmed during the process since my analysing method required that. In this essay I have chosen to present one of the four analyzed groups. The two analysing methods used to get an understanding of a pupil’s understanding are fokal analysis and pre occupational analysis. Also I have been discussing and analysing the students in the group through other theories such as threshold concepts.

The study was done at an upper secondary school here in Gothenburg with students currently studying in second grade. The study showed that the three students in the group had different abilities regarding how to perform calculations with negative numbers. The pupils in the group did not manage to solve the tasks that were given to them. The pupils therefore did not have the proper understanding for calculations with negative numbers and other mathematical calculations needed for the two tasks. My analysis showed that the main reason why the pupils could not solve the tasks was the lack of usage of mathematical terms and threshold concepts. My analysis also showed that the pupils “meant focus” sometimes was not stable enough. A teacher can definitely use the two analysing methods fokal analysis and pre occupational analysis to understand a pupil’s understanding in the forms of thinking and communicating.