Abstract:

The aim of this research is to thematically examine the graduate theses on mathematical misconceptions conducted in Turkey. Within the scope of the study, 106 graduate theses that could be accessed in the official website of the National Council of Higher Education Thesis Center between 1998-2021 were examined. The graduate theses were classified by demographics features such as university, year, language, type, by methodological features such as participants’ group and size, methodology, design, data collection tools, data analysis techniques, by teaching areas, subjects and by distribution of purpose according to teaching areas. The results showed that graduate theses were prepared in 41 different universities. In this context, the theses are mainly published in Marmara, Gazi, and Middle East Technical University. It is determined that 12 of the 106 theses were written in English and 94 of them were written in Turkish; that the graduate theses were primarily conducted with middle school students. In addition, quantitative research methods were mainly used in graduate theses. While screening method was mostly used in the theses prepared with quantitative methods, the case study design was preferred mostly in the theses using qualitative methods, and the descriptive design was preferred mostly in the theses using the mixed methods. As the data collection tools, diagnostic tests and then achievement tests and semi-structured interviews were mostly used in theses, respectively. It was determined that quantitative data analysis techniques were used more than qualitative data analysis techniques. While the most preferred purpose of writing theses was to identify misconceptions, the least preferred purpose was to determine the ability to notice misconceptions. In addition, it was determined that the misconceptions about the subjects within the scope of the "Numbers and Operations'' learning area at each teaching level were examined in the graduate theses.

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