Conceptual and Procedural Error Patterns in Fractions and Decimals of Pre-Service Elementary Teachers

Fractions and decimals are important foundational concepts in mathematics, but they remain challenging for many students and even for future elementary teachers. How prepared are these future educators to teach these concepts? Given the vital role that elementary teachers play in developing their students’ mathematical understanding, it is important to examine the pre-service elementary teachers’ competence in these topics. Using a descriptive-diagnostic design and mixed quantitative and qualitative analysis, this paper tried to determine the proficiency levels and error patterns that describe the 108 third-year pre-service elementary teachers’ understanding of fractions and decimals through an open-ended diagnostic assessment. The proficiency levels were determined based on the percentage of correct responses. Results revealed a low overall proficiency level of 31.77%, indicating substantial gaps in their understanding. Analysis of responses identified common error patterns related to conceptual misconceptions, overgeneralization of rules, carrying out of mathematical procedures, and computational inaccuracies. The findings suggest the need for targeted instructional interventions and strengthened teacher preparation in mathematics to improve conceptual understanding and address mathematical misconceptions.