This study attempts to investigate the errors and misconception that form three students reveal using symbolic equation and word-problem representations. The participants were thirty form three students, from a high school in Zimbabwe. Three mathematics teachers from the same school also took part. Data was collected from the students through a questionnaire, a test, follow up interviews and semi-structured interviews. Semi structured interviews were also conducted with the three mathematics teachers. In data analysis, the students’ written responses and data from questionnaire were qualitatively analysed to determine the nature of the students’ errors when solving quadratic equations. The results revealed that the students had difficulties in solving symbolic quadratic equations by the factorisation method as well as the use of the quadratic formula such that many misconceptions were exposed. The following types of errors were revealed: conceptual, procedural and technical. It was found out that it is an advantage for teachers to teach students with the knowledge of these errors in an effort to eliminate them.

Preservice mathematics teachers' beliefs about actions related to the use of the technological tools in teaching mathematics may affect how they are going to use them in their classroom activities. However, there is a limited evidence of what beliefs they hold on their intended actions of using technological tools in teaching mathematics. This study presents two preservice high school mathematics teachers' actional beliefs related to their intended actions in teaching geometric transformations (GTs) using Geometer's Sketchpad (GSP). The study comprised of a series of five task-based qualitative interviews with each of two senior undergraduate preservice teachers at a medium-sized public university in the Rocky Mountain Region of the United States. This study used a radical constructivist grounded theory (RCGT) with five assumptions—symbiosis, voice, cognition, adaptation, and praxis as a theoretical framework to guide the study process. The thematic findings of the study included four in vivo categories of their beliefs associated with actions of teaching GTs with GSP – assessment of student learning, engaging students in a group activity in exploring GTs with GSP, engaging students in individual activity in exploring GTs with GSP, and exploring GTs with GSP as 'suck it up and do it.' Pedagogical implications of these categories have been discussed.

Learners bring prior knowledge to their learning environments. This prior knowledge is said to have an effect on how they encode and later retrieve new information learned. This research aimed at exploring ‘A’ level mathematics learners’ understanding of the determinant concept of 3×3 matrices. A problem-solving approach was used to determine learners' conceptions and errors made in calculating the determinant. To identify the conceptions; a paper and pencil test, learner interviews, and learner questionnaires were used. Ten learners participated in the research and purposive sampling was used to select learners who are doing the syllabus 6042/2 Zimbabwe School Examination Council (ZIMSEC). Data was analyzed qualitatively through an analysis of each learners' problem-solving performance where common themes were identified amongst the learners’ work. Results from the themes showed that Advanced level learners faced some challenges in calculating the determinant of 3×3 matrices. Learners were having challenges with the place signs used in 3×3 matrices, especially when using the method of cofactors. The findings reveal that learners had low levels of engagement with the concepts and the abstract nature of the concepts was the major source of these challenges. The study recommends that; teachers should engage learners for lifelong learning and apply some mathematical definitions in real-world problems. Teachers should address the issues raised in this research during the teaching and learning process. In addition, teachers should engage learners more through seminars where learners get to mingle with others from other schools.

Algebraic reasoning involves representation, generalization, formalization of patterns and order in all aspects of mathematics. Hence, the focus of algebraic reasoning is on patterns, functions, and the ability to analyze situations with the help of symbols. The purpose of this study was to develop a test instrument to measure students' algebraic reasoning abilities based on cognitive systems in Marzano's taxonomy. The cognitive system in Marzano's taxonomy consists of four levels, including retrieval, comprehension, analysis, and knowledge utilization. According to the stage of cognitive development, students are at the level of knowledge utilization. At this level, students can make decisions, solve problems, generates and test hypotheses, as well as carry out investigations that are in line with indicators of algebraic reasoning abilities. The stages in developing the test instrument were based on three phases: preliminary investigation phase, prototyping phase, and assessment phase. The study obtains a set of valid and reliable algebraic reasoning test instruments for students based on the cognitive system in Marzano's taxonomy. Through the development of an algebraic reasoning test instrument based on Marzano's taxonomy, students can build' thinking habits so that active learning exercises occurs.