Misconceptions to Mathematical Understanding: Synthesizing the Roles of Cognitive Conflict, Reflection, and Conceptual Reconstruction

Mathematical misconceptions can hinder the development of deep and lasting conceptual understanding. This study aimed to analyze and synthesize the roles of cognitive conflict, reflection, and conceptual reconstruction in transforming misconceptions into mathematical understanding. A systematic literature review employing a descriptive qualitative approach examined relevant scholarly articles published between 2020 and 2026. The analysis focused on the characteristics of misconceptions, mechanisms of cognitive conflict, functions of reflection, and processes of conceptual reconstruction. The synthesis indicates that cognitive conflict promotes learners’ awareness of discrepancies between their existing conceptions and mathematical evidence; reflection supports the evaluation and refinement of their thinking processes; and conceptual reconstruction enables the development of more accurate, coherent, and meaningful knowledge structures. Together, these components provide an integrated account of how misconceptions can be transformed into mathematical understanding. The study contributes an integrative synthesis framework that connects these mechanisms through the theoretical perspectives of conceptual change, constructivism, and metacognition. This framework highlights the complementary roles of the three components and provides a theoretical and pedagogical basis for developing mathematics instruction that addresses misconceptions and strengthens conceptual understanding.