A theoretical model describing Grade 7 students' rational number sense was formulated and validated empirically (n = 360), hypothesizing that rational number sense is a general construct consisting of three factors: basic rational number sense, arithmetic sense, and flexibility with rational numbers. Data analysis suggested that rational-number…

This study used fraction number line estimation tasks to evaluate students' developmental patterns, and the relationship of such tasks with whole number bias was explored. In total, 189 fourth-grade students in a northern Taiwan elementary school were followed over 2 years. The results demonstrated that the students' fraction learning development…

Teachers and teacher educators have been sharing strategies and resources for implementing mathematics routines in National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) journals for years. A less commonly shared mathematics routine, especially with young learners, is "Clothesline Math" (Shore, 2017, 2018). In this routine, teachers create…

Estimation is an essential competence with a developmental role in the learning of various mathematical topics. Yet, as previous studies highlight, this competence is either excluded or ambivalently included in intended curricula around the world. The current study investigates the estimation-related opportunities in the primary curricula of three…

Background/purpose: Investigation into the misconceptions of preschool students in mathematics and their differences between the ages of 4-5 and 5-6 years old helps form appropriate developmental mathematics teaching programs. However, although several studies have been conducted examining preschoolers' previous knowledge and misconceptions about…

In this paper, we examine the national curricula for primary mathematics for each of the four constituent nations of the United Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales) for the estimation-related opportunities they offer children. Framed against four conceptually and procedurally different forms of estimation (computational,…

This dissertation conducted two studies that examined two methods of instructional planning to effectively match students to a whole number computation intervention that would best meet their needs. Study 1 was a systematic synthesis of all studies that used brief experimental analysis (BEA) to determine an effective mathematics intervention for…

At the early stages of concept acquisition, physical properties are inseparable of the concepts they form. With development, the concept seems to depart from the physical entities from which it emerged and seems to exist beyond its physical attributes. Numerosity is an abstract concept; however, physical properties such as diameter, area, and…

This paper discusses a game that can be used for introducing the binary representation of integers in an interactive and fun environment. The game is introduced in the way it is presented in an undergraduate Discrete Mathematics class. Variations of the game are discussed, particularly its extension to base-three representation of integers. It is…

Whole Number Arithmetic (WNA) appears as the very first topic in school mathematics and establishes the foundation for later mathematical content. Without solid mastery of WNA, students may experience difficulties in learning fractions, ratio and proportion, and algebra. The challenge of students' learning and mastery of fractions, decimals, ratio…

How can old-fashioned tables of logarithms be computed without technology? Today, of course, no practicing mathematician, scientist, or engineer would actually use logarithms to carry out a calculation, let alone worry about deriving them from scratch. But high school students may be curious about the process. This article develops a…

Understanding how struggling students approach math is vital to designing effective math lessons. Many low achieving students rely on a weak knowledge of procedures and attempt calculations without adequate consideration of the problem. We investigated how enabling or preventing premature calculations affected learning math. Students were…

This study investigated the performance of 790 fourth graders from Taiwan for judging the reasonableness of a computational result by using corresponding methods pertaining to whole numbers. A number-sense web-based two-tier diagnostic test was used to assess the number-sense performance of the fourth graders who participated in this study. The…

The purpose of the present study is to examine content knowledge (CK) and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) of Greek teachers in number sense and specifically in mental calculations with rational numbers (fractions, decimals and percentages). Examined within the framework of CK were the type of strategies employed by teachers and the extent of…

Children's failure to reason often leads to their mathematical performance being shaped by spurious associations from problem input and overgeneralization of inapplicable procedures rather than by whether answers and procedures make sense. In particular, imbalanced distributions of problems, particularly in textbooks, lead children to create…