Teachers' engagement with students' errors in mathematics: Introducing Hermeneutical Competence

Errors play a central role in mathematics learning and recent research highlights the importance of how teachers recognize and interpret them. This study investigates mathematics teachers’ competencies in identifying and understanding students’ errors, building on findings from an Italian national project, which revealed widespread difficulties among teachers in interpreting common student errors. To address this, in this study is introduced the theoretical construct of hermeneutical competence, describing how teachers analyse students’ errors and the reasoning behind them. Examples illustrating ways of examining this competence are reported, and findings suggest factors that may influence its development. By focusing on both error identification and interpretation, hermeneutical competence offers a framework for research and professional development, supporting the enhancement of instructional practice across all school levels.