• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.707-734
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• 2009

The purpose of the study was to investigate how children understand addition and subtraction of fractions and how their understanding influences the solutions of fractional word problems. Twenty students from 4th to 6th grades were involved in the study. Children's understanding of operations with fractions was categorized into "joining", "combine" and "computational procedures (of fraction addition)" for additions, "taking away", "comparison" and "computational procedures (of fraction subtraction)" for subtractions. Most children understood additions as combining two distinct sets and subtractions as removing a subset from a given set. In addition, whether fractions had common denominators or not did not affect how they interpret operations with fractions. Some children understood the meanings for addition and subtraction of fractions as computational procedures of each operation without associating these operations with the particular situations (e.g. joining, taking away). More children understood addition and subtraction of fractions as a computational procedure when two fractions had different denominators. In case of addition, children's semantic structure of fractional addition did not influence how they solve the word problems. Furthermore, we could not find any common features among children with the same understanding of fractional addition while solving the fractional word problems. In case of subtraction, on the other hand, most children revealed a tendency to solve the word problems based on their semantic structure of the fractional subtraction. Children with the same understanding of fractional subtraction showed some commonalities while solving word problems in comparison to solving word problems involving addition of fractions. Particularly, some children who understood the meaning for addition and subtraction of fractions as computational procedures of each operation could not successfully solve the word problems with fractions compared to other children.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.213-231
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• 2023

The purpose of this study was to analyze and derive pedagogical implications from elementary mathematics textbooks that align with the revised 2015 curriculum. Specifically, the focus was on the chapters related to simplifying fractions, finding a common denominator, and performing addition and subtraction of Fractions with Different Denominators. The analysis revealed that the overall structure of these chapters was similar across the textbooks, but variations existed in terms of the main activities and the textbook organization. Furthermore, different textbooks employed various types and quantities of visual representations. When designing lesson directions and content, it is crucial to consider the strengths and weaknesses of each visual representation.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.213-232
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• 2022

With the importance of number line in learning fractions, this study investigated how 4th grade students understand fractions and its operations in number line. The questionnaire consisted 22 items which were related to representing fractions, comparing the size of fractions, and operating addition and subtraction of fractions. Both structured number line and sub-structured number line were presented in the items. As results of the study, the overall success rates were not high and even some items showed higher incorrect answer rates than the success rates. Also, the students showed a difficulty in solving non-structured number line tasks. It was also noticeable that students showed several types of incorrect answers, which means that students had incomplete understanding of both fractions and number line. This paper is expected to shed light on elementary students' understanding of fractions and number line and to provide implications of how to deal with number line in teaching and learning fractions in the elementary school.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.125-140
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• 2023

In elementary school mathematics, the addition and subtraction of fractions are difficult for students to understand but very important concepts. This study aims to examine the teaching methods and visual aids utilized in the context of common denominator fraction addition and subtraction. The analysis focuses on evaluating the lesson flow and the utilization of visual representations in one national textbook and ten certified textbooks aligned with the current 2015 revised curriculum. The results show that each textbook is composed of chapter sequences and topics that reflect the curriculum faithfully, with each textbook considering its own order and content. Additionally, each textbook uses a different variety and number of visual representations, presumably intended to aid in learning the operations of fractions through the consistency or diversity of the visual representations. Identifying the characteristics of each textbook can lead to more effective instruction in fraction operations.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.285-304
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• 2009

The operations of fractions are the main contents of number and operations in the elementary mathematics curriculum. They are also difficult for students to understand conceptually. Nevertheless, there has been little study on the addition and subtraction of fractions. Given this, this paper explored the connection between the national mathematics curriculum and its concomitant textbooks, the adequacy of when to teach, and the method of constructing each unit to teach addition and subtraction of fractions. This paper then analyzed elementary mathematics textbooks and workbooks by three parts aligned with the general instructional flow: 'introduction', 'activity', and, 'exercise'. First, it was analyzed with regard to the introduction part whether the word problems of textbooks might reflect on students' daily lives as intended, how different meanings of operations would be expected to be taught, and how the subsequent activities were connected with the original word problems. Second, the main analysis of activity part of the textbooks dealt with how to use concrete or iconic models to promote students' conceptual understanding of operations and how to formalize the calculation methods and principles with regard to addition and subtraction of fractions. Third, the analysis of the part of exercise in the textbooks and workbooks was conducted with regard to problem types and meanings of operations. It is expected that the issues and suggestions stemming from this analysis of current textbooks and workbooks are informative in developing new instructional materials aligned to the recently revised mathematics curriculum.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.60 no.2
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• pp.229-247
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• 2021

Students' mathematical thinking is represented via various forms of outcomes, such as written response and verbal expression, and teachers could infer and respond to their mathematical thinking by using them. This study analyzed 39 elementary teachers' competency to notice students' problem-solving strategies containing mathematical errors in fraction addition and subtraction with uncommon denominators problems. Participants were provided three types of students' problem-solving strategies with regard to fraction addition and subtraction problems and asked to identify and interpret students' mathematical understanding and errors represented in their artifacts. Moreover, participants were asked to design additional questions and problems to correct students' mathematical errors. The findings revealed that first, teachers' noticing competency was the highest on identifying, followed by interpreting and responding. Second, responding could be categorized according to the teachers' intentions and the types of problem, and it tended to focus on certain types of responding. For example, in giving questions responding type, checking the hypothesized error took the largest proportion, followed by checking the student's prior knowledge. Moreover, in posing problems responding type, posing problems related to student's prior knowledge with simple computation took the largest proportion. Based on these findings, we suggested implications for the teacher noticing research on students' artifacts.

• School Mathematics
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.625-645
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• 2016

This study clarified the big ideas related to teaching addition and subtraction of fractions with different denominators based on quantitative reasoning with unit and recursive partitioning. An analysis of this study urged us to re-consider the content related to the addition and subtraction of fraction. As such, this study analyzed textbooks and teachers' manuals developed from the fourth national mathematics curriculum to the most recent 2009 curriculum. In addition and subtraction of fractions with different denominators, it must be emphasized the followings: three-levels unit structure, fixed whole unit, necessity of common measure and recursive partitioning. An analysis of this study showed that textbooks and teachers' manuals dealt with the fact of maintaining a fixed whole unit only as being implicit. The textbooks described the reason why we need to create a common denominator in connection with the addition of similar fractions. The textbooks displayed a common denominator numerically rather than using a recursive partitioning method. Given this, it is difficult for students to connect the models and algorithms. Building on these results, this study is expected to suggest specific implications which may be taken into account in developing new instructional materials in process.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.2
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• pp.87-105
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• 1997

• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.307-332
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• 2022

This action research was carried out to help students learn fractions computation by making and using semi-concrete fraction manipulatives that can be used continuously in math classes. For this purpose, the researcher and students made semi-concrete fraction manipulatives and learned how to use these through reviewing the previously learned fraction contents over 4 class sessions. Afterward, through the 14 classes (7 classes for learning to reduce fractions and to a common denominator, 7 classes for adding and subtracting fractions with different denominators) in which the principle inquiry learning model was applied, students actively engaged in learning activities with fraction manipulatives and explored the principles underneath the manipulations of fraction manipulatives. Students could represent various fractions using fraction manipulatives and solve fraction computation problems using them. The achievement evaluation after class found that the students could connect the semi-concrete fraction manipulatives with fraction representation and symbolic formulas. Moreover, the students showed interest and confidence in mathematics through the classes using fraction manipulatives.

• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.409-435
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• 2014

This study examines relations between the 5th graders' fraction operation skills and error types on constructed-response items. As results, first, the participants have lower fraction operation skills on 'multiplication of fraction' than 'addition and subtraction of fraction'. Second, the participants have different error types depend on their constructed-response items. Most of error types which group with high ability made was 'leap of solving process', both groups error type with medium ability as well as low ability is 'misunderstanding of questions'. Third, the operation skills on 'addition and subtraction of fraction' have an influence on their operation skills on 'multiplication of fraction', and error types of 'understanding of questions' and 'understanding of solving process' have the most effects on the influence.