Publication
Learning rational numbers – a study on 6th grade students’ (mis)conceptions of fractions
| Summary: | This study compares students' understanding of fractions across quotient, part-whole and operator interpretations of fractions. Two questions were addressed: (1) How do students understand the equivalence and ordering of fractions in these interpretations? And (2) how do students master the fraction representation in these interpretations? A survey was conducted using an individual questionnaire with 11 and 12-year-olds Portuguese students (N=158), who were familiar predominantly with part-whole and operator interpretations, but not with the quotient interpretation. A quantitative analysis showed that students performed better on equivalence and ordering tasks presented in quotient interpretation than in part-whole and operator interpretations; they performed better on labelling tasks in part-whole and operator interpretations than in quotient interpretations. Educational implications of these results will be discussed. |
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| Main Authors: | Mamede, Ema |
| Other Authors: | Cardoso, Paula |
| Subject: | rational numbers fractions interpretations of fractions misconceptions of fractions Ciências Sociais::Ciências da Educação |
| Year: | 2011 |
| Country: | Portugal |
| Document type: | article |
| Access type: | open access |
| Associated institution: | Universidade do Minho |
| Language: | English |
| Origin: | RepositóriUM - Universidade do Minho |
| Summary: | This study compares students' understanding of fractions across quotient, part-whole and operator interpretations of fractions. Two questions were addressed: (1) How do students understand the equivalence and ordering of fractions in these interpretations? And (2) how do students master the fraction representation in these interpretations? A survey was conducted using an individual questionnaire with 11 and 12-year-olds Portuguese students (N=158), who were familiar predominantly with part-whole and operator interpretations, but not with the quotient interpretation. A quantitative analysis showed that students performed better on equivalence and ordering tasks presented in quotient interpretation than in part-whole and operator interpretations; they performed better on labelling tasks in part-whole and operator interpretations than in quotient interpretations. Educational implications of these results will be discussed. |
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