The Analysis of Grade 8 Fractions Errors Displayed by Learners Due to Deficient Mastery of Prerequisite Concepts

This paper presents an analysis of fractions errors displayed by learners due to deficient mastery of prerequisite concepts. Fractions continue to pose a critical challenge for learners. Fractions can be a tricky concept for learners although they often use the concept of sharing in their daily lives. 30 purposefully sampled learners participated in this study. The research instrument consists of fractions test whose questions were selected from various Annual National Assessment examination papers containing in addition, subtraction multiplication and division of fractional operations. The different types of errors displayed by learners were then identified, coded and categorized. The analysis showed that the main sources for errors were lack of understanding of the basic concepts, learners' prior knowledge, misconceptions and misapplication of rules. This study recommends that teachers should help their learners to develop fractions conceptual understanding. Learners need to be explicitly taught that errors are opportunities for learning, and that they are springboard of inquiry.