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http://dx.doi.org/10.7468/jksmec.2020.23.2.87

A Fourth Grade Student's Units Coordination for Fractions  

Yoo, Jinyoung (Korea National University of Education)
Shin, Jaehong (Korea National University of Education)
Publication Information
Education of Primary School Mathematics / v.23, no.2, 2020 , pp. 87-116 More about this Journal
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to explore how units-coordination ability is related to understanding fraction concepts. For this purpose, a teaching experiment was conducted with one fourth grade student, Eunseo for four months(2019.3. ~ 2019.6.). We analyzed in details how Eunseo's units-coordinating operations related to her understanding of fraction changed during the teaching experiment. At an early stage, Eunseo with a partitive fraction scheme recognized fractions as another kind of natural numbers by manipulating fractions within a two-levels-of-units structure. As she simultaneously recognized proper fraction and a referent whole unit as a multiple of the unit fraction, she became to distinguish fractions from natural numbers in manipulating proper fractions. Eunseo with a reversible partitive fraction scheme constructed a natural number greater than 1, as having an interiorized three-levels-of-units structure and established an improper fraction with three levels of units in activity. Based on the results of this study, conclusions and pedagogical implications were presented.
Keywords
units coordination; unit structure; fraction concept; fraction scheme; splitting operation;
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Times Cited By KSCI : 4  (Citation Analysis)
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