Using Concrete Models to Improve Preservice Teachers' Understanding of Fractions

• In Event: Fairmont Roundtable Session Sixteen
  In Roundtable Session: Preservice Teachers' Education: Content and Pedagogical Practice (Table 5)

Abstract

Teachers’ challenges with understanding and teaching fractions continue despite much time and efforts made in teacher preparation programs to improve quality of their fraction instruction. This study examines to what extent learning concrete models contributes to preservice teachers’ fraction knowledge after controlling for their prior fraction knowledge. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted, which showed that the concrete models explained unique variance in the outcome of the fraction knowledge after controlling for their prior knowledge. While both concrete models and prior fraction knowledge contributed uniquely to the learning outcome of the fraction knowledge, concrete models had higher practical significance.

Authors

• Xiaofang Zeng, Texas Tech University
  Presenting Author

• Jian Wang, Texas Tech University
  Presenting Author

• Raymond Flores, Texas Tech University
  Non-Presenting Author