Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCHOLARS IN EDUCATION, cilt.8, sa.2, ss.88-118, 2025 (Hakemli Dergi)
This study investigates seventh-grade students’ misconceptions about percentages and the underlying causes of these misconceptions. The topic of percentages stands out as a concept frequently encountered both in mathematics and in daily life, yet one that many students find difficult to comprehend. The purpose of the research is to identify students’ misconceptions regarding percentages and to examine the reasons behind their occurrence. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was employed, integrating both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The qualitative component of the study was structured as a case study. In the first phase, quantitative data were collected through a 22-item diagnostic test, while in the second phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted to gain deeper insights into the findings. The study was carried out with 255 seventh-grade students from three schools in Turkey’s Aegean region, representing different socio-economic backgrounds. Students were given two class periods to complete the diagnostic test, and ten students with varying achievement levels were selected for interviews. The collected data were analyzed using qualitative methods supported by quantitative findings and interpreted through content analysis. Results revealed that students’ misconceptions stemmed mainly from deficiencies in understanding fractions and decimals, misconstructed ratio–proportion concepts, difficulties in interpreting the percent symbol, operational errors, preconceptions, and incorrect generalizations transferred from prior learning. The findings suggest that conceptual gaps in previous mathematical topics persist in learning percentages, leading to more complex misunderstandings.
Keywords: The percentages, Concept, The misconceptions.