Overcoming the letter-as-object misconception in 4 weeks? An analysis of latent class transitions and contributing teaching practices

Abstract

While misconceptions regarding algebraic letters have been researched for decades, they still seem to be very prevalent among students learning algebra. Therefore, this study aims to investigate teaching approaches that support students overcome erroneous thinking patterns related to the letter-asobject misconception. Based on latent classes that had been identified for 2220 German Year 7 and 8 students, students' transitions between latent classes were examined and connected to self-reported teaching practices from three interviewed teachers. The results suggest that explicitly focussing on the meaning of variables in the context of algebraic expressions can help students overcome the letter-as-object misconception.