Expression of Fraction Concepts Through Manipulative Use: A Study of Third- to Fifth-Grade Students

This research examines elementary school students’ expression of fraction concepts through the use of different concrete objects, to identify non-canonical ways of using manipulatives during problem-solving. Throughout this project, I analyzed 10 video-recorded interviews in which 7- to 10-year-old students were given different types of manipulatives, which included counters, fraction circles, fraction bars, and number lines, to explain one fraction: 1/4. The manipulatives used for this project correspond to three different models: the set model, area model, and length model. Based on these models, I identified the unique and idiosyncratic ways students used the manipulatives. By observing how children’s prior knowledge guides their use of manipulatives during problem-solving, the ultimate goal of this study is to develop new instructional approaches that employ multiple manipulatives to help children bridge different mental models during fraction learning.

Author
Ashley Lebrón Vázquez
School
University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez
Department
Psychology
Research Advisor
Dr. Michelle Perry
Department of Research Advisor
Educational Psychology
Year of Publication
2019