ABSTRACT
Identifying and correcting children’s misconceptions is recommended by the Numeracy Task Force (DfEE, 1998a) as a way of improving standards in mathematics; the new Framework for Teaching Mathematics (DfEE, 1999) implemented in primary schools from September 1999 requires teachers to address children’s misconceptions and mistakes by a process of probing and questioning. The National Curriculum for Mathematics for initial training which was introduced by the Teacher Training Agency (DfEE, 1998b), requires teacher trainees to be taught how to:
recognise common pupil errors and misconceptions in mathematics, and to understand how these arise, how they can be prevented and how to remedy them’ (p. 370).
