A STUDY OF MATHAYOM 1 STUDENT MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT THE SUBTRACTION OF INTEGERS PROCESS AT THAMMASAT SECONDARY SCHOOL

Abstract

This survey research investigated misconceptions about the process of subtracting integers among seventh grade (Mathayom 1) Thammasat Secondary School (TSS) students. The population comprised 140 TSS seventh graders in the first semester of the 2024 academic year, with 80 chosen by simple random sampling. Data was gathered by an eight-item subjective test on integer subtraction and semi-structured interviews and analyzed by basic statistics, including mean and percentage. Results were that 1) all students demonstrated correct understanding of problems where the absolute value of the minuend exceeded the absolute value of the subtrahend, especially positive-positive integer problems; 2) the highest rate of misconceptions occurred in positive–negative integer problems with 37.50% of samples misunderstanding problems where the absolute value of the minuend exceeded the absolute value of the subtrahend, and 25% misunderstanding problems where the absolute value of the minuend was less than the absolute value of the subtrahend. These problems led to student confusion, inaccurate solutions, and oversight of integer signs; and 3) the main type of misconception was conceptual, followed by carelessness, and a mix of carelessness and conceptualizing. These issues likely stemmed from inaccuracies in doing subtraction operations and lack of understanding of fundamental principles, leading to errors in responses. These findings underscore the need to develop teaching methods emphasizing clear understanding of basic.