The anatomy of mistake: Analytical investigation of students? mistakes teachers? feedbacks in the middle school mathematic classes

With the student-centered curriculums more mistakes will take place in the classes. The biggest obstacle that prevents the curriculums from being implemented efficiently can be these mistakes. Therefore, it is thought that if the mistakes and the feedbacks given by the teacher are determined, it will encourage the teachers to implement the new curriculum more efficiently.At this study four question investigated ?How can we classify the mistakes and what are the properties of the mistakes regarding Turkish culture?, ?How do the teachers give feedback to these mistakes??, ?In what ways do the feedbacks change depending on the teachers?? and ?In what ways do the techniques vary according to the types of mistakes??The research was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, the data obtained by the non-structured observation of 260 hours of teaching by 5 teachers and the types of mistakes and the techniques of giving immediate feedbacks are formed. And in the second phase, 4 teachers? 120 teaching hours are observed and in what ways and why the feedbacks vary according to the teachers taking into consideration the classification in the first phase of the study and the relationships between the types of mistakes and the techniques of giving feedback are investigated.Findings of the research are presented with tables and graphic obtained through content analysis, the content analysis is supported with the sample dialogues. 2-3 hours of teaching from each teacher are tried to be described through discourse analysis in order for the qualitative study to be persuasive and clear and for the other factors affecting the feedbacks given to the mistakes to be easily comprehend by the readers.Four types of mistakes are established: 1. The mistakes related with the academic language, 2. The mistakes regarding the use of process and strategy, 3. The mistakes related with deduction and induction and 4. The mistakes related to classification. Six techniques of giving feedback are defined: 1. Ignoring the Mistake or Assuming it as true, 2. Telling the Answer, 3. Telling ?It is wrong?, 4. Presenting a Contradiction, 5. Simplification and 6. Making Associations.