Abstract:
This study explored the impact of ‘Diagnostic Conflict Teaching’ and
‘Conventional Teaching’ approaches on the remediation of algebraic errors and
misconceptions among second year high school students in the Cape Coast Metropolis of
Ghana. A validated algebra diagnostic test covering the fundamental algebra concepts was
adopted, adapted, piloted and used to collect data from 114 participants. A quasi-experimental
design with a non-equivalent (pre-test, post-test) control-group was employed. Descriptive
statistics, bar charts, dependent and independent t-tests were used to analyse students’ pre-test
and post-test scores. Though findings of the study showed significant impact with both teaching
methods, the Diagnostic Conflict Teaching approach was more effective in addressing
students’ algebraic errors and misconceptions than the Conventional approach.
Recommendations made underscore the need for curriculum and educational programmes to
provide classroom or teaching experiences that have the potential of helping pre-service and
in-service mathematics teachers to improve on their knowledge for teaching algebra as well
as their pedagogical content knowledge, to better equip them to address students’
misconceptions and errors effectively.
