Andrés Christiansen's recent publication explores how the error climate in classrooms—whether supportive or punitive—affects students' performance in mathematics. A positive error climate, where mistakes are viewed as learning opportunities, correlates with improved attitudes towards mathematics and enhanced academic performance. Conversely, a negative error climate, characterized by criticism or humiliation for errors, leads to poorer attitudes and decreased performance.
The publication presents findings from a comprehensive study by the Peruvian Ministry of Education, which found that a positive error climate accounts for 18.5% of the variance in positive attitudes towards mathematics, while a negative error climate explains 30.3% of the variance in negative attitudes. The study's model indicates that error climate significantly influences academic achievement through its impact on attitudes, explaining 14.2% of the variance in mathematics performance.
These results are consistent across different socioeconomic backgrounds, underscoring the critical role of the error climate in shaping student outcomes.