Analysis of Students’ Error in Proving Convergent Sequence using Newman Error Analysis Procedure

Abstract

Mathematics in college demands students to think on high-level. One of the courses that demands high-order thinking is Real Analysis. In this course, there are mathematical proofs that often become students' difficulties so that there are too many errors in the process. The purpose of this research was to identify students' errors in proving convergent sequences. Students were classified into high-ability, moderate-ability, and low-ability. One student from each ability was taken randomly and interviewed to obtain data about student's errors. The subjects of this study were 3 students of the Mathematics Department Universitas Sebelas Maret Surakarta. The type of student's error is based on Newman Error Analysis Procedure that includes reading, comprehension, transformation, process skill, and encoding error. Based on the results, (1) high-ability student made error in process skill, (2) moderate-ability student made errors in transformation and process skill, (3) low-ability student made errors in transformation, process, and encoding.