Errors and misconceptions in learning elementary linear algebra

Abstract

Mostly student meet difficulty in learning elementary linear algebra (ELA). The aim of this research is to discuss errors, misconceptions and their causes in learning ELA. The subjects of this research were 41 chemistry students who took part in ELA course during the 2017/2018 academic year at Andalas University. The study use qualitative methods to explain how students reason to form errors and misconceptions. The partisipants were asked to answer four questions in system of linear equations as a part of the mid term examination questions. Students’ solutions to the mid term examination questions were taken as the key source of data used to generate a list of errors and to extract the underlying misconceptions. The findings show that the average of student unable to: understanding the problem (E1), devising a plan (E2), carrying out the plan (E3.1 & E3.2), verified the solution (E4), respesctively are E1 = 6.61%, E2 = 28.40%, E3.1 = 24.43%, E3.2 = 2.27%, E4 = 89.23% and one misconceptions revealed, that is Cramer’s rule can be used to solve every kind of SLE.