• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.101-115
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• 2015

In the present paper, we argue any research concerning human knowledge construction, components, or types needs to clarify its epistemological stance regarding 'knowledge' in that such viewpoint might have much influence on the nature of knowledge the researcher sees and the way in which evidence for knowledge development is gathered. Thus, we suggest two alternative research groups who conducted their studies on mathematical knowledge for teaching with an explicit epistemological standpoint. We finalize our discussion by reviewing concrete examples in the previous literature on teacher knowledge of fraction conducted by the two groups.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.61 no.1
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• pp.157-178
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• 2022

Mathematics teachers' content knowledge is an important asset for effective teaching. To enhance this asset, teacher's knowledge is required to be diagnosed and developed. In this study, we employed problem-posing and problem-solving tasks to diagnose preservice teachers' understanding of fraction multiplication. We recruited 41 elementary preservice teachers who were taking elementary mathematics methods courses in Korea and the United States and gave the tasks in their final exam. The collected data was analyzed in terms of interpreting, understanding, model, and representing of fraction multiplication. The results of the study show that preservice teachers tended to interpret (fraction)×(fraction) more correctly than (whole number)×(fraction). Especially, all US preservice teachers reversed the meanings of the fraction multiplier as well as the whole number multiplicand. In addition, preservice teachers frequently used 'part of part' for posing problems and solving posed problems for (fraction)×(fraction) problems. While preservice teachers preferred to a area model to solve (fraction)×(fraction) problems, many Korean preservice teachers selected a length model for (whole number)×(fraction). Lastly, preservice teachers showed their ability to make a conceptual connection between their models and the process of fraction multiplication. This study provided specific implications for preservice teacher education in relation to the meaning of fraction multiplication, visual representations, and the purposes of using representations.

• School Mathematics
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.675-696
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• 2011

This study was designed to understand PCK to improve professionalism of teachers and derive implications about proper teachings methods. For achieving these research purposes, different PCK and teaching methods in class of three teachers were compared and analyzed targeting arithmetic operation unit of fraction. For this study, criteria of PCK analysis of teachers was set, PCK questionnaires were produced and distributed, teachers had interviews, PCK of teachers were analyzed, two times fraction class was observed and analyzed, and PCK of teachers and their classes were compared. Followings are results to analyze PCK of teachers about fraction. In relation to PCK of three teachers, first of all, A teacher accurately understood concepts of fraction and learners' errors that may occur when they study fraction. Also, he(she) proposed concrete teaching strategies for fraction based on manipulated materials. B teacher also understood concepts of fraction and learners' errors accurately too. On the other hand, C teacher laid stress on knowledge to stress principles and taught that they are bases for every class. These results mean that self-training and inservice- training should be efficiently upgraded to improve PCK of teachers.

• School Mathematics
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.45-64
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• 2012

The purpose of the present study was to investigate middle grades (Grade 5-7) mathematics teachers' knowledge of partitive fraction division. The data were derived from a part of 40-hour professional development course on fractions, decimals, and proportions with 13 in-service teachers. In this study, I attempted to develop a model of teachers' way of knowing partitive fraction division in terms of two knowledge components: knowledge of units and partitioning operations. As a result, teachers' capacities to deal with a sharing division problem situation where the dividend and the divisor were relatively prime differed with regard to the two components. Teachers who reasoned with only two levels of units were limited in that the two-level structure they used did not show how much of one unit one person would get whereas teachers with three levels of units indicated more flexibilities in solving processes.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.301-316
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• 2012

Ball, Thames & Phelps(2008) introduced the idea of Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching(MKT) teacher. Specialized Content Knowledge(SCK) is one of six categories in MKT. SCK is a knowledge base, useful especially for math teachers to analyze errors, evaluate alternative ideas, give mathematical explanations and use mathematical representation. The purpose of this study is to analyze the elementary teacher's SCK. 29 six graders made word problems with respect to division fraction $9/10{\div}2/5$. These word problems were classified four sentence types based on Sinicrope, Mick & Kolb(2002) and then representative four sentence types were given to 10 teachers who have taught six graders. Data analysis was conducted through the teachers' evaluation of the answers(word problems) and revision of students' mathematical errors. This study showed how to know meanings of fraction division for effective teaching. Moreover, it suggested several implications to develop SCK for teaching and learning.

• Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.477-490
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• 2011

The concept of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) has been developed and expanded to identify essential components of mathematical knowledge for teaching (MKT) by Ball and her colleagues (2008). This study proposes an alternative perspective to view MKT focusing on key developmental understandings (KDUs) that carry through an instructional sequence, that are foundational for learning other ideas. In this study we provide constructive components of KDUs in fraction multiplication by focusing on the constructs of 'three-level-of-units structure' and 'recursive partitioning operation'. Expecially, our participating preservice elementary teacher, Jane, demonstrated that recursive partitioning operations with her length model played a significant role as a KDU in fraction multiplication.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.58 no.1
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• pp.1-20
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• 2019

As the importance of algebraic thinking in elementary school has been emphasized, the links between fraction knowledge and algebraic thinking have been highlighted. In this study, we analyzed the solution methods and characteristics of thinking by fifth graders who have not yet learned fraction division when they solved 'reverse fraction problems' (Pearn & Stephens, 2018). In doing so, the contexts of problems were extended from the prior study to include the following cases: (a) the partial quantity with a natural number is discrete or continuous; (b) the partial quantity is a natural number or a fraction; (c) the equivalent fraction of partial quantity is a proper fraction or an improper fraction; and (d) the diagram is presented or not. The analytic framework was elaborated to look closely at students' solution methods according to the different contexts of problems. The most prevalent method students used was a multiplicative method by which students divided the partial quantity by the numerator of the given fraction and then multiplied it by the denominator. Some students were able to use a multiplicative method regardless of the given problem contexts. The results of this study showed that students were able to understand equivalence, transform using equivalence, and use generalizable methods. This study is expected to highlight the close connection between fraction and algebraic thinking, and to suggest implications for developing algebraic thinking when to deal with fraction operations.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.153-166
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• 2017

164 preservice elementary teachers' decision and enactment of their knowledge of fraction multiplication were examined in a context where they were asked to write a story problem for a multiplication problem with two proper fractions. Participants were selected from an entry level course and an exit level course of their teacher preparation program to reveal any differences between the groups as well as any recognizable patterns within each group and overall. Patterns and tendencies in writing story problems were identified and analyzed. Implications of the findings for teaching and teacher education are discussed.

• Education of Primary School Mathematics
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.19-30
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• 2016

This study examined pre-service teachers' pedagogical content knowledge of fraction division in a context where they were asked to write a story problem for a symbolic expression illustrating a whole number divided by a proper fraction. Problem-posing is an important instructional strategy with the potential to create meaningful contexts for learning mathematical concepts, especially when real-world applications are intended. In this study, story problems written by 135 elementary pre-service teachers were analyzed with respect to mathematical correctness. error types, and division models. Patterns and tendencies in elementary pre-service teachers' knowledge of fraction division were identified. Implicaitons for teaching and teacher education are discussed.

• School Mathematics
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.259-273
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• 2003

A fraction is one of the most important concepts that students have to learn in elementary school. But it is a challenge for students to understand fraction concept because of its conceptual complexity. The focus of fraction learning is understanding the concept. Then the problem is how we can facilitate the conceptual understanding and estimate it. In this study, Moore's concept understanding scheme(concept definition, concept image, concept usage) was adopted as an theoretical framework to investigate students' fraction understanding. The questions of this study were a) what concept image do students have\ulcorner b) How well do students solve fraction problems\ulcorner c) How do students use fraction concept to generate fraction word problem\ulcorner By analyzing the data gathered from three elementary school, several conclusion was drawn. 1) The students' concept image of fraction is restricted to part-whole sub-construct. So is students' fraction understanding. 2) Students can solve part-whole fraction problems well but others less. This also imply that students' fraction understanding is partial. 3) Half of the subject(N=98) cannot pose problems that involve fraction and fraction operation. And some succeeded applied the concept mistakenly. To understand fraction, various fraction subconstructs have to be integrated as whole one. To facilitate this integration, fraction program should focus on unit, partitioning and quantity. This may be achieved by following activities: * Building on informal knowledge of fraction * Focusing on meaning other than symbol * Various partitioning activities * Facing various representation * Emphasizing quantitative aspects of fraction * Understanding the meanings of fraction operation Through these activities, teacher must help students construct various faction concept image and apply it to meaningful situation. Especially, to help students to construct various concept image and to use fraction meaningfully to pose problems, much time should be spent to problem posing using fraction.