Discusses overall mental computation achievement and limits discussion to strategies middle school students used when computing with whole numbers, decimals, and fractions. Suggests that the development of conceptual knowledge of numbers is an important prerequisite for the understanding of mental computation procedures. (Contains 31 references.)…

Discussed are students' understandings of the relationship between fraction and decimal interpretations of rational numbers, where both interpretations are represented symbolically. The methodology employed in this study, interviews, results, and a discussion of the implications of the results are presented. (CW)

The purpose of this study was to assess the ability of students in grades 6 and 7 to order rational numbers in both decimal and fraction form, including the identification of their thinking strategies. Implications for instruction are included. (MNS)

Discussed are the background and implementation of a method of teaching fractions to primary children referred to as "The Visual Concept of Fractions." The advantages and criticisms of the use of this method are stressed. (CW)

Discusses how well children (N=6) who have had instruction in rational-number concepts based on a continuous manipulative aid are able to transfer their knowledge to accomplish tasks based on a manipulative aid which can be interpreted as discrete. Suggests several implications for teaching fraction concepts to children using continuous and…

Analysis of student constructed questions about common and decimal fractions of (n=27) students in grades five and six revealed that students seemed to construct experience- and interest-based questions rather than textbook-type word problems which tended to be multistep problems. (12 references) (MKR)

Interview and questionnaire responses of students in grades K-10 completing common and decimal fraction tasks suggested the existence of 2 sequential unistructural-multistructural-relational learning cycles within the concrete symbolic mode. (46 references) (MKR)

Provides an overview of the conceptual analysis of the unit fraction that provided the framework for developing a comprehensive array of fraction activities for fourth-grade students. Reveals the students' difficulties in learning the unit-fraction concept and discusses the didactical implications of these difficulties. Contains 15 references.…

Describes a teaching experiment conducted over a period of four consecutive days with 13 fourth grade students who had already completed a unit of fractions to determine whether problematic size was the ordering criteria. Concludes that children can indeed order fractions as they do natural numbers. (Contains 11 references.) (ASK)

Reviewed is research indicating problems in teaching and learning fractions and possible ways to improve instruction and learning. (RH)

How laser videodisc technology can be used to improve mathematics instruction is described, with note of the development of a videodisc curriculum on mastering fractions. Relevant research is reviewed, as well as how teachers can use the technology. The instructional design is described, and field-testing and revision reported. (MNS)

Elementary and middle school education majors in Australia (n=326) and the United States (n=378) were asked to arrange a list of decimals in order from smallest to largest. Only about half of these preservice teachers in each country were able to complete the task correctly. (MKR)

Investigates children's cognitive structures with respect to concepts one-half, one-quarter, and one-third as these apply to continuous circular and triangular regions. Examines the effect of an intervention program with 21 children in grades three through six. (YP)

Explores the interaction of gender, sex-typed toys, and the construction of the mathematical topic of fractions as it is taught in schools. (MKR)

Low ability sixth graders (n=19) participated in a teaching experiment involving fraction concepts. Results showed students were able to acquire and use semantic processes and transfer these processes to novel tasks. Semantic processing was positively associated with performance. (MKR)