Difficulties faced by junior high school students in solving integer multiplication problems: A Newman’s error analysis approach
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31629/jg.v11i1.7645Keywords:
difficulties, encoding, integer multiplication, Newman’s error analysis, process skillsAbstract
Integer multiplication is a foundational arithmetic competency, yet junior high school students persistently struggle to solve word problems involving it, and these difficulties often go unnoticed when only the correctness of final answers is assessed; consequently, it remains unclear at which cognitive stage students' reasoning actually breaks down. To address this specific problem, this study aims to analyze the types of errors eighth-grade students make when solving integer multiplication problems at a public junior high school in Lembata Regency, East Nusa Tenggara. A qualitative descriptive approach was employed, involving eleven students as participants. The instruments used included a written test consisting of ten questions and an interview guide based on the five stages of Newman's Error Analysis (NEA): reading, comprehension, transformation, process skills, and encoding. The analysis revealed no errors at the reading stage. However, errors were identified at the comprehension stage (10.51%), transformation stage (26.46%), process skills stage (28.79%), and encoding stage (34.24%). The highest error rate occurred during the encoding stage, indicating that although students were able to process the problems correctly, they struggled to express the final answers accurately. These findings suggest that students face challenges related to conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, and mathematical expression. The study highlights the need for instructional strategies that reinforce mastery of foundational skills and enhance students' ability to articulate mathematical ideas precisely.
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