Misconceptions of 8th and 11th grade students in area and volume subjects

11 ABSTRACT This study has been carried out in order to determine the proportional misconceptions of 8th and 1 1th grade students in area and volume subjects. First of all, the studies that we could reach about misconceptions in mathematics education have been searched. Then, a test which has 16 open-ended questions, has been prepared for determining the misconceptions in area and volume subjects. This test has been applied to 562 students who were chosen for the study from İbrahim Akoğlu Elementary School, Ceceli Private Elementary School, Sevgi Private Elementary School, Keçiören High-School, Ceceli Private High-School and Sevgi Private High-School which were given education in the city center of Ankara, in the second term of 2002-2003 education. The datas has been analysed with "chi-square test" for the education of concepts in area and volume subjects. At the end of the study, there were statistically significant differences between grade levels; private and public schools; Turkish-Social, Turkish- Mathematics and Mathematics-Science groups in 1 1th level of high-school, with respect to misconceptions in area and volume subjects. On the light of the proportional datas that were obtained from the test, proposals were presented for the education of the concepts in area and volume subjects, for the mathematics educators at the end of the study.