ERIC Number: EJ1154725
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017-Sep
Pages: 10
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1073-5836
EISSN: N/A
How Can Students Learn Fraction (De)Composition
Perry, Rebecca R.; Lewis, Catherine C.
Teaching Children Mathematics, v24 n1 p30-39 Sep 2017
The authors recently conducted a randomized controlled trial that showed a significant impact of teachers' lesson study, supported by mathematical resources, on both teachers' and students' understanding of fractions. The research and mathematical resources are described in the second part of this article. First the authors examine some of the items used to assess student understanding of fractions at the beginning and end of the research. These items can help unpack what it means for students to understand that fractions are "built out of unit fractions." They also help unpack how students might show their understanding that the whole is "b" repetitions of the fraction 1/"b." Following examination of the assessment items, the authors consider how various ways to represent fractions--for example, using linear measure, area, or set--might affect the particular understandings emphasized by the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) (CCSSI 2010), and then the authors examine student work.
Descriptors: Randomized Controlled Trials, Mathematics Instruction, Fractions, Mathematical Concepts, Concept Formation, Common Core State Standards, Elementary School Mathematics, Mathematics Skills, Statistical Analysis, Faculty Development, Communities of Practice
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. 1906 Association Drive, Reston, VA 20191. Tel: 800-235-7566; Tel: 703-620-9840; Fax: 703-476-2570; e-mail: NCTM@nctm.org; Web site: http://www.nctm.org/publications/teaching-children-mathematics/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: Teachers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A