• 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.

• Journal of Educational Research in Mathematics
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.537-555
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• 2017

This paper compared and contrasted Korean and Singaporean textbooks in order to explore the direction and possibility of teaching the big ideas related to the addition and subtraction of fractions with different denominators proposed by Lee & Pang (2016a). Firstly, we examined the teaching sequences related to the addition of fractions with different denominators in a series of elementary mathematics textbooks of Korea and Singapore. We then analyzed what types of representations are used and how the representations are presented for the big ideas related to the addition of fractions with different denominators. The results of the analysis showed that the contents related to fraction addition are addressed more gradually and systematically in Singaporean textbooks compared to Korean counterparts. The graphical representations appeared in the Singaporean textbooks provide specific implications for teaching the big ideas of the addition of fractions with different denominators. Based on such implications, we expect that the big ideas related to the addition of fractions with different denominators will be addressed explicitly and systematically in Korean textbooks.

• School Mathematics
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.793-818
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to explore in detail $5^{th}$ grade students' understanding on the big ideas related to addition of fraction with different denominators: fixed whole unit, necessity of common measure, and recursive partitioning connected to algorithms. We conducted teaching experiments on 15 fifth grade students who had learned about addition of fractions with different denominators using the current textbook. Most students approached to the big ideas related to addition of fractions in a procedural way. However, some students were able to conceptually understand the interpretations and algorithms of fraction addition by quantitatively thinking about the context and focusing on the structures of units. Building on these results, this study is expected to suggest specific implications on instruction methods for addition of fractions with different denominators.

• Journal of Gifted/Talented Education
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.17-43
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• 2014

On the subjects of elementary 3rd grade three child prodigies who had learned the four fundamental arithmetic operations and primary concepts of fraction, this study conducted a qualitative case research to examine how they composed schema of addition and multiplication of fractions and transformed schema through recognition of precise concepts and linking of concepts with addition and multiplication of fractions as the contents. That is to say, this study investigates what schema and transformed schema child prodigies form through composition of primary mathematic concepts to succeed in relational understanding of addition and multiplication of fractions, how they use their own formed schema and transformed schema for themselves to approach solutions to problems with addition and multiplication of fractions, and how the subjects' concept formation and schema in their problem solving competence proceed to carry out transformations. As a result, we can tell that precise recognition of primary concepts, schema, and transformed schema work as crucial factors when addition of fractions is associated with multiplication of fractions, and then that the schema and transformed schema that result from the connection among primary mathematic concepts and the precise recognition of the primary concepts play more important roles than any other factors in creative problem solving with respect to addition and multiplication of fractions.

• 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.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Elementary Mathematics Education
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• 2010.08a
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• pp.89-103
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• 2010

• 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.22 no.4
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• pp.331-368
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• 2018

This study is derived from a student who can add without knowing the addition principle. To understand where the student's response come from, we came to analyse the curriculum contents of natural numbers, decimals and fractions addition principle. At the same time, we surveyed two different school of forty six sixth grade participants with questionnaires to determine whether it is a problem of the student or an universal one. As a result, we found that there is a room for improvement in the addition and connections of addition. We propose appropriate instructional method regarding connections of addition and addition principle of natural numbers, decimals and fractions. The conclude there is a close relation and differences among the principles of natural numbers, decimals and fractions in the proposed instructional method. Therefore, we need to consider and instruct the differences of the number expansion.

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