Misconceptions of 9th class students regarding to natural numbers

Mistakes and misconceptions regarding to natural numbers of 9th class students and whether these mistakes and misconceptions demonstrated any significant difference depending on the gender has been investigated in this study. This study was carried out with 321 students at 9th class who have being educated in Anatolian High Schools located in Istanbul City Sisli Province in the education training year of 2011-2012 after completing of the natural number subject. The Diagnosis Test comprising 26 items was used as a data collection instrument. Cronbach Alpha coefficient reliability of the Diagnosis Test was found as 0,90. An expert opinion was obtained for the validity. The SPSS 16 pack program was used in order to solve the data obtained by Diagnosis Test which composed by open-ended questions. Qualitative and quantitative researching methods were utilized in this study. The answers given by the students were examined individually and the answers of the students were evaluated in categories such as ?correct?, ?wrong?, ?empty? and ?incomplete?, then distribution of these students? answers into percentage and frequency categories were determined. Also samples within all determined mistakes and misconceptions transferred into the computer via scanner and were submitted in findings. At the end of the investigation, it has been determined that students had a lot of mistake and misconceptions regarding to natural number, features belong to exponentiation, base arithmetic, prime numbers, relative prime numbers, prime factorization of a natural number, positive dividends of a natural number and factorial. Also these mistakes and misconceptions were determined as not demonstrating a significant difference depending on the genders.