Using Newman’s Error Analysis to Analyse Grade 3 Learners’ Errors in Solving Word Problems in a Diverse Classroom

Abstract

This study focused on utilising Newman’s error analysis model to diagnose the errors made by Grade 3 learners when solving word problems in a diverse classroom setting. The research endeavour seeks to pinpoint the errors manifested by learners when tackling word problems, with the aim of offering practical approaches to bolster the instruction of word problem-solving abilities and foster a more profound comprehension of mathematical principles among Grade 3 learners in varied educational settings. A diagnostic test with seven question items was administered to 54 learners in one primary school of Waterberg district in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. Consecutively, eight scripts of learners who featured the same errors were identified and they were included in semi-structured interviews to establish the cause of the errors. The outcomes unveiled that learners commit reading, comprehension, transformation, process and encoding errors. Based on the results, early identification of errors from learners and making them known is recommended as it will allow teachers to rectify them and promote learning with understanding.