2025 Volume 16 Pages 43-49
Malawi and Zambia are known for their low mathematics proficiency. Previous research has shown that although more than half of Zambian children submit incorrect answers to problems such as 4 - 8 and –4 – 2, those incorrect answers are not obtained through guesswork but through calculation algorithms linking them to pre-formulated calculations. However, it is unclear whether similar algorithms are used by Malawian children, something which this study sought to clarify through a survey, conducted with 615 Malawian and 971 Zambian students in Grades 8 and 9, used a written test of twelve addition and subtraction expressions with positive and negative integers. The results showed that Malawian children also use such calculation algorithms that lead to erroneous answers. This is likely to increase their computational skills significantly. The results of the cognitive diagnostic models (CDM) analysis illustrated the need for an understanding of negative integers themselves and to utilise this in the correct calculation algorithms for addition and subtraction involving negative integers. The findings of this work have important implications for improving students’ numeracy skills and influencing their long-term future and academic achievements.
