• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.181-197
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• 2023

The importance of reasoning processes based on fractional concepts and number senses, rather than a formalized procedural method using common denominators, has been noted in a number of studies in relation to compare the magnitudes of unlike fractions. In this study, a unlike fraction magnitudes comparison test was conducted on fourth-grade elementary school students who did not learn equivalent fractions and common denominators to analyze the reasoning perspectives of the correct and wrong answers for each of the eight problem types. As a result of the analysis, even students before learning equivalent fractions and reduction to common denominators were able to compare the unlike fractions through reasoning based on fractional sense. The perspective chosen by the most students for the comparison of the magnitudes of unlike fractions is the 'part-whole perspective', which shows that reasoning when comparing the magnitudes of fractions depends heavily on the concept of fractions itself. In addition, it was found that students who lack a conceptual understanding of fractions led to difficulties in having quantitative sense of fraction, making it difficult to compare and infer the magnitudes of unlike fractions. Based on the results of the study, some didactical implications were derived for reasoning guidance based on the concept of fractions and the sense of numbers without reduction to common denominators when comparing the magnitudes of unlike fraction.