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ERIC Number: ED576191
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 45
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-
EISSN: N/A
Error Patterns with Fraction Calculations at Fourth Grade as a Function of Students' Mathematics Achievement Status
Schumacher, Robin F.; Malone, Amelia S.
Grantee Submission
The goal of the present study was to describe fraction-calculation errors among 4th-grade students and determine whether error patterns differed as a function of problem type (addition vs. subtraction; like vs. unlike denominators), orientation (horizontal vs. vertical), or mathematics-achievement status (low- vs. average- vs. high-achieving). We specifically addressed whether mathematics-achievement status was related to students' tendency to operate with whole number bias. We extended this focus by comparing low-performing students' errors in two instructional settings that focused on two different types of fraction understandings: core instruction that focused on part-whole understanding vs. small-group tutoring that focused on magnitude understanding. Results showed students across the sample were more likely to operate with whole number bias on problems with unlike denominators. Students with low or average achievement (who only participated in core instruction) were more likely to operate with whole number bias than students with low achievement who participated in small-group tutoring. We suggest instruction should emphasize magnitude understanding to sufficiently increase fraction understanding for all students in the upper elementary grades. [At the time of submission to ERIC this article was in press with "Elementary School Journal".]
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Grade 4; Intermediate Grades; Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Institute of Education Sciences (ED); Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) (NIH)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Wide Range Achievement Test
IES Funded: Yes
Grant or Contract Numbers: R324C100004; R24HD075443; HD15052