Abstract
To understand relationships between students' fractional knowledge and algebraic reasoning in the domain of equation writing, an interview study was conducted with 12 secondary school students, 6 students operating with each of 2 different multiplicative concepts. These concepts are based on how students coordinate composite units. Students participated in two 45-minute interviews and completed a written fractions assessment. Students operating with the second multiplicative concept had not constructed fractional numbers, but students operating with the third multiplicative concept had; students operating with the second multiplicative concept represented multiplicatively related unknowns in qualitatively different ways than students operating with the third multiplicative concept. A facilitative link is proposed between the construction of fractional numbers and how students represent multiplicatively related unknowns.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 196-243 |
| Number of pages | 48 |
| Journal | Journal for Research in Mathematics Education |
| Volume | 46 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Mar 1 2015 |
Keywords
- Algebraic reasoning
- Fractional knowledge
- Iterative fraction scheme
- Middle school students
- Multiplicative concept
- Quantitative reasoning
- Unknowns
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Mathematics (miscellaneous)
- Education