• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.221-241
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• 2013

The data for the present paper was a part of a large research project conducted to assess preservice teachers' knowledge related to fractions and place value at a southwestern public university in 2007. The study utilized convenience sampling, consisting of 150 elementary preservice teachers who were enrolled in a mathematics methods course before their student teaching. The results demonstrated preservice teachers' knowledge of teaching comparison, addition, subtraction, and multiplication of fractions was insufficient even though these should be basic knowledge. Teacher preparation programs should emphasize profound knowledge for teaching fractions using representations.

• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.15-27
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• 2013

Division of fractions is always a difficult topic for primary school students. Most of the presentations in teaching the topic in textbooks are procedural, asking students to invert the second fraction and multiply it with the first one, that is, $$\frac{a}{b}{\div}\frac{c}{d}=\frac{a}{b}{\times}\frac{d}{c}$$. Such procedural approach in teaching diminishes both the understanding of structure in mathematics and the interest in learning the subject. This paper discussed the formulation of teaching the division of fractions, which based on research lessons in some primary five classrooms. The formulated lessons started with an analogy to division of integers and working with division of fractions with equal denominators and then extended to division of fractions in general. It is found that the using of analogy helps students to invent their procedure in working the division problem. Some procedures found by students are discussed, with the focus on the development of their invention and mathematical thinking.

• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.10 no.3 s.27
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• pp.189-203
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• 2006

Teaching of fractions is very challengeable for elementary and middle school teachers. Many teachers feel uncomfortable teaching the subject. How shall we introduce the concept of fractions? Shall we focus more on concept development or computational procedures and skills? What methodology can be used in teaching those important topics? These are the kind of questions many teachers and researchers try to answer. In this article, the authors are to look at this issue from a cross nation perspective, by examining how the Chinese mathematics curriculum and the Chinese teachers deal with this subject.

• School Mathematics
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.685-706
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• 2009

This dissertation is aimed to investigate the reason why a contextualization is needed to help the meaningful teaching-learning concerning multiplications and divisions of fractions, the way to make the contextualization possible, and the methods which enable us to use it effectively. For this reason, this study intends to examine the differences of situations multiplying or dividing of fractions comparing to that of natural numbers, to recognize the changes in units by contextualization of multiplication of fractions, the context is set which helps to understand the role of operator that is a multiplier. As for the contextualization of division of fractions, the measurement division would have the left quantity if the quotient is discrete quantity, while the quotient of the measurement division should be presented as fractions if it is continuous quantity. The context of partitive division is connected with partitive division of natural number and 3 effective learning steps of formalization from division of natural number to division of fraction are presented. This research is expected to help teachers and students to acquire meaningful algorithm in the process of teaching and learning.

• The Mathematical Education
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.195-215
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• 2001

The purpose of this paper is to present a specific set of home teaching methods in hopes to prevent slow learner of the elementary mathematics. This paper deals with the number and operations, one of five topics in the elementary mathematics A survey of two hundred elementary school teachers was made to see the teacher's opinions of the role of home studying and to concretize the contents of the research topics. There were asked which is the most essential contents for the concrete loaming and which is the most difficult monad that might cause slow leaner. And those were found to be; counting, and arithmetic operations(addition and subtraction) of one or two-digit numbers and multiplication and their concepts representations and operations(addition and subtraction) of fractions. The home teaching methods are based on the situated learning about problem solving in real life situations and on the active teaming which induces children's participation in the process of teaching and learning. Those activities in teaching each contents are designed to deal with real objects and situations. Most teaching methods are presented in the order of school curriculum. To teach the concepts of numbers and the place value, useful activities using manipulative materials (Base ten blocks, Unifix, etc.) or real objects are also proposed. Natural number's operations such as addition, subtraction and multiplication are subdivided into small steps depending upon current curriculum, then for understanding of operational meaning and generalization, games and activities related to the calculation of changes are suggested. For fractions, this paper suggest 10 learning steps, say equivalent partition, fractional pattern, fractional size, relationship between the mixed fractions and the improper fraction, identifying fractions on the number line, 1 as a unit, discrete view point of fractions, comparison of fractional sizes, addition and subtraction, quantitative concepts. This research basically centers on the informal activities of kids under the real-life situation because such experiences are believed to be useful to prevent slow learner. All activities and learnings in this paper assume children's active participation and we believe that such active and informal learning would be more effective for learning transfer and generalization.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.1-17
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• 2019

In this study, prospective teachers were involved in arranging the teaching sequence of multiplication and division of fractions and decimal numbers based on their experience and knowledge of school mathematics. As a result, these activities provided an opportunity to demonstrate the prospective teachers' perception. Prospective teachers were able to learn the knowledge they needed by identifying the differences between their perceptions and curriculum. In other words, prospective teachers were able to understand the mathematical relationships inherent in the teaching sequence of multiplication and division of fractions and decimal numbers and the importance and difficulty of identifying students' prior knowledge and the effects of productive failures as teaching methods.

• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.47-61
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• 2013

This paper aims to explore whether Learning Study improves teachers' subject content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, and attitude toward teaching mathematics. A Learning Study was conducted in a Hong Kong primary school for a research lesson on comparing the size of fractions to explore the new teacher roles.

• Journal of Elementary Mathematics Education in Korea
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.547-574
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• 2017

The purpose of analysis of foreign curriculums and textbooks is to aimed to get the implications for the revision of curriculum, publishment of textbooks and teaching mathematics. In this study, Common Core State Standards and its textbooks was analyzed. The U. S. doesn't have the national mathematics curriculum. So, it can be happen some problems: students' lower mathematical achievement, assessment policy, decision of teaching contents, etc. In 2010, Common Core State Standards was developed by states. Furthermore, The California Department of Education reshaped standards: CA-CCSSM. This study analyzed the contents of fraction in CA-CCSSM and its textbooks. Fraction has many concepts and methods and models in teaching process. This study analyzed the equal parts, introducing fraction concept, the types of fraction, equivalent fractions, comparison of fractions. The conclusions are as follows; The equal parts are the important concept of fraction and introduced in geometry area before teaching of fraction. CA-CCSSM aims to understand a fraction as a number on the number line and represent fractions on a number line diagram. There are some similarity and difference in mixed number, fractions as a division and ratio, equivalent fractions and comparison of fractions between Korean curriculum and textbooks and CA-CCSSM.

• Communications of Mathematical Education
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• v.19 no.4 s.24
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• pp.715-731
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• 2005

There are five contexts of division algorithm of fractions such as measurement division, determination of a unit rate, reduction of the quantities in the same measure, division as the inverse of multiplication and analogy with multiplication algorithm of fractions. The division algorithm, however, should be taught by 'dividing by using reciprocals' via 'measurement division' because dividing a fraction by a fraction results in 'multiplying the dividend by the reciprocal of the divisor'. If a fraction is divided by a large fraction, then we can teach the division algorithm of fractions by analogy with 'dividing by using reciprocals'. To achieve the teaching-learning methods above in elementary school, it is essential for children to use the maniplatives. As Piaget has suggested, Cuisenaire color rods is the most efficient maniplative for teaching fractions. The instruction, therefore, of division algorithm of fractions should be focused on 'dividing by using reciprocals' via 'measurement division' using Cuisenaire color rods through analogy if necessary.

• Research in Mathematical Education
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.197-208
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• 2011

By using the recording and quantitative analysis of two videos about "The multiplication and division of the Fractions" and the "Flanders Interaction Analysis System," we classified the teachers' language of instruction in algebra classroom and also analysis the language of instruction in the different teaching process. The results after the analysis as follows: (1) The proportion of time was taken in teachers' language of instruction is high and vary in types, most of the teachers' language is teachers' question; (2) In the different teaching process, the proportion of time was taken in teachers' language of instruction is different; (3) Teachers attached importance to explain the example and had the similar teaching strategy, but the teachers' language is different; (4) In the practice process, teachers placed importance on exploring the tough question and its teaching strategies are different. The teachers' questions are the main teachers' language of instruction.