Good errors in mathematics education

Research in psychology and in mathematics education has documented the ubiquity of intuition traps - tasks that elicit non-normative responses from most people. Researchers in cognitive psychology often view these responses negatively, as a sign of irrational behaviour. Others, notably mathematics e...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of mathematical education in science and technology 2021-05, Vol.52 (5), p.752-766
Main Authors: Leron, Uri, Ejersbo, Lisser Rye
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cognitive Psychology
debugging
Dual Process Theory
Education
Educational Theories
Error Patterns
Errors
Good errors
Inferences
intelligent system
Intelligent systems
Intuition
intuition traps
Logical Thinking
Mathematical analysis
Mathematical Logic
Mathematics education
Mathematics Instruction
Peer Relationship
Problem Solving
Schemata (Cognition)
Student Attitudes
Task Analysis
Teacher Attitudes
Teacher Student Relationship
Teaching Methods
Validity
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Summary:Research in psychology and in mathematics education has documented the ubiquity of intuition traps - tasks that elicit non-normative responses from most people. Researchers in cognitive psychology often view these responses negatively, as a sign of irrational behaviour. Others, notably mathematics educators, view them as necessary steps towards deeper understanding, but still as obstacles to be overcome. Still others, especially those with evolutionary bend, view them as the outcome of an intelligent system that has been tricked by atypical conditions (hence our term traps). As researchers and practitioners in mathematics education, we tend to sympathize with the latter and, moreover, consider these intuition traps as a potentially fertile resource in the mathematics classroom. This article thus presents theoretical and practical support for the two sides of the same coin: Intuition traps as representing a good source and a good resource.
ISSN:0020-739X
1464-5211
DOI:10.1080/0020739X.2019.1706004