Fractional Operations and Computational Procedures

• In Event: The Development of Mathematical Cognition: Multidisciplinary Approaches

Abstract

Two 6th Grade children were selected for participation in a design experiment on the basis of their partitioning operations. Our goals were to investigate the fractional operations that the two children might construct using their partitioning operations across seven teaching sessions and how they might reconstitute their fractional computational procedures using their fractional operations. The most advanced fractional operations that Taylor constructed were part-whole operations whereas Natalie constructed more advanced fractional operations than Taylor. Natalie used her operations to begin reconstituting her fractional computational procedures and constructing fractional computational procedures based on her operations. In contrast, at the end of the experiment, Taylor’s fractional operations remained as part-whole operations and his computational procedures had no observed operational meaning.

Authors

• Jaclyn M. Gammaro, University of Georgia - Athens

• David R. Liss, University of Georgia

• Leslie Philip Steffe, University of Georgia