Incorrect Worked Examples Intervention

The Incorrect Worked Examples intervention is an algebra instructional strategy designed for middle school students (8th grade) learning systems of equations in Algebra I. Students study examples of fictitious students' errors on algebra problems and respond to self-explanation prompts that highlight common misconceptions (e.g., understanding the equal sign as indication of balance). The intervention is delivered through four worksheets completed individually over 5-7 weeks, with approximately 20 minutes per worksheet. Each worksheet contains four example-problem pairs where students study incorrect worked examples with highlighted errors, explain the errors through prompts, then solve a paired "Your Turn" problem. The intervention targets students who struggle with algebra, particularly those with low prior knowledge, by normalizing errors as part of learning and drawing attention to components that make solutions incorrect.