Selected views of pupil mistakes in the teaching of mathematics

Title: Selected views of pupil mistakes in the teaching of mathematics Author: Derek Pilous Department: Department of mathematics and mathematics education Supervisor: Prof. RNDr. Ladislav Kvasz, Ph.D. Abstract: The main goal of the thesis is to describe in depth the problem of pupil mis- takes in mathematics, both from the psychological and mathematics education points of view and from the point of view of mathematics teachers. Four questions were addressed: How does research in mathematics education view mistakes and what is the difference between this view and that of research of general mistakes? How can mistakes made by future mathematics teachers be classified? How do (future) mathematics teachers see the erroneousness of some border phenomena and the seriousness of mistakes? Are there differences between respondents with some teaching experience and without it? The theoretical part of the thesis consists of (1) characterisation of a general mistake, (2) pupil mistakes in mathematics including their seriousness, (3) psychological view of mistakes including learning without and with mistakes and a more detailed description of a cognitivist viewpoint of mistakes, (4) mistakes from the point of view of mathematics education research. It is shown that pupil mistakes in the teaching of mathematics are not the..