Why Johnny Can’t Apply Multiplication? Revisiting the Choice of Operations with Fractions

Susanne Prediger

doi:10.29333/iejme/262

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Susanne Prediger

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Abstract

The inadequate choice of operations and misleading interpretations of operations are major obstacles for students to mathematize and solve word problems successfully. Based on theoretical considerations on conceptual change concerning interpretations, this article reports on an empirical study conducted with 830 students. It extends existing investigations on the issue in three ways: 1. by focusing on fractions rather than on decimals, 2. by using an enriched test design, including several aspects of competence and various models for multiplication, and 3. by a deeper explorative analysis of 197 reasons for choices given in an operation choice item format with open responses. The article extends existing theoretical approaches to the problem by reconstructing four main strategies for choosing operations.

Keywords

Fractions
conceptual change
discontinuities of mental models

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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Research Article

INT ELECT J MATH ED, Volume 6, Issue 2, May 2011, 65-88

https://doi.org/10.29333/iejme/262

Publication date: 08 Aug 2011

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Article Downloads: 2781

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How to cite this article

APA

Prediger, S. (2011). Why Johnny Can’t Apply Multiplication? Revisiting the Choice of Operations with Fractions. International Electronic Journal of Mathematics Education, 6(2), 65-88. https://doi.org/10.29333/iejme/262

Vancouver

Prediger S. Why Johnny Can’t Apply Multiplication? Revisiting the Choice of Operations with Fractions. INT ELECT J MATH ED. 2011;6(2):65-88. https://doi.org/10.29333/iejme/262

AMA

Prediger S. Why Johnny Can’t Apply Multiplication? Revisiting the Choice of Operations with Fractions. INT ELECT J MATH ED. 2011;6(2), 65-88. https://doi.org/10.29333/iejme/262

Chicago

Prediger, Susanne. "Why Johnny Can’t Apply Multiplication? Revisiting the Choice of Operations with Fractions". International Electronic Journal of Mathematics Education 2011 6 no. 2 (2011): 65-88. https://doi.org/10.29333/iejme/262

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MLA

Prediger, Susanne "Why Johnny Can’t Apply Multiplication? Revisiting the Choice of Operations with Fractions". International Electronic Journal of Mathematics Education, vol. 6, no. 2, 2011, pp. 65-88. https://doi.org/10.29333/iejme/262