Using diagnostic assessment to determine the goal of the research lesson: a lesson study case

Abstract

Two-tier diagnostic assessment, unlike single-tier diagnostic assessment, is credited for affording teachers a deep understanding of learners’ misconceptions in mathematics, thereby improving teaching and learning. The purpose of this interpretivist case-study paper was to identify grade 6 learners’ misconceptions of fractions, using a two-tier diagnostic assessment, thereby determining the goal of the research lesson within the Lesson Study (LS) context. Data was collected via administration of a two-tier diagnostic test. Although some procedural and factual misconceptions were revealed, conceptual misconceptions appeared to be most dominant in the learning of fractions. However, the interplay between the three categories of misconceptions seemed to be inevitable. Therefore, we conclude and recommend that, instead of focusing on only one of the three categories of misconceptions related to fractions, the goal of the research lesson within the LS setting should encompass all three categories of misconceptions and address them in an integrated manner.