Empirical Study on Errors of Mathematical Word Problems Posed by Learners

Abstract

Problem posing by which learners create problems by themselves has been identified as an important activity in mathematics education. However, problem posing is a heavy task for both learners and teachers because it is a divergent task that has various possible answers. To develop problem posing skill of leaners, it is indispensable to evaluate posed problems, particularly when they include errors in mathematical structures. To provide a basis in designing computational support for addressing errors to improve problem posing skill, this study empirically investigated errors of mathematical word problems posed by novices. Undergraduates were engaged in a problem-posing task where they were asked to pose many, diverse and unique problems from a problem initially given. Posed problems that included errors were analyzed, with the result indicating that when the undergraduates failed to pose problems, their problems mostly had errors regarding setting constraints. We then discussed how to approach errors in problem posing by computational systems.