Reasoning about Fraction and Decimal Magnitudes, Reasoning Proportionally, and Mathematics Achievement in Australia and the United States

Autor/inn/en	Resnick, Ilyse; Newcombe, Nora; Goldwater, Micah
Titel	Reasoning about Fraction and Decimal Magnitudes, Reasoning Proportionally, and Mathematics Achievement in Australia and the United States
Quelle	In: Journal of Numerical Cognition, 9 (2023) 1, S.222-239 (18 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Resnick, Ilyse) ORCID (Newcombe, Nora) ORCID (Goldwater, Micah)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Schlagwörter	Elementary School Students; Grade 4; Grade 6; Mathematics Skills; Mathematical Logic; Thinking Skills; Fractions; Abstract Reasoning; Mathematics Achievement; Foreign Countries; Comparative Education; Mathematics Instruction; Computation; Measurement; Models; Australia; United States + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? School year 04; 4. Schuljahr; Schuljahr 04; School year 06; 6. Schuljahr; Schuljahr 06; Mathmatics achievement; Mathematics ability; Mathematische Kompetenz; Mathematical logics; Mathematische Logik; Denkfähigkeit; Bruchrechnung; Abstraktes Denken; Denken; Mathmatics sikills; Mathematical ability; Ausland; Vergleichende Erziehungswissenschaft; Mathematics lessons; Mathematikunterricht; Messverfahren; Analogiemodell; Australien; USA
Abstract	There is strong evidence from research conducted in the United States that fraction magnitude understanding supports mathematics achievement. Unfortunately, there has been little research that examines if this relation is present across educational contexts with different approaches to teaching fractions. The current study compared fourth and sixth grade students from two countries which differ in their approach to teaching fractions: Australia and the United States. We gathered data on fraction and decimal magnitude understanding, proportional reasoning, and a standardized mathematics achievement test on whole number computation. Across both countries, reasoning about rational magnitude (either fraction or decimal) was predictive of whole number computation, supporting the central role of rational number learning. However, the precise relation varied, indicating that cross-national differences in rational number instruction can influence the nature of the relation between understanding fraction and decimal magnitude and mathematics achievement. The relation between proportional reasoning and whole number computation was fully mediated by rational magnitude understanding, suggesting that a key mechanism for how reasoning about rational magnitude supports mathematics achievement: proportional reasoning supports the development of an accurate spatial representation of magnitude that can be flexibly and proportionally scaled, which in turn supports children's mathematics learning. Together, these findings support using measurement models and spatial scaling strategies when teaching fractions and decimals. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Leibniz Institute for Psychology. Universitatsring 15, Trier, 54296, Germany. e-mail: support@psychopen.eu; Web site: https://jnc.psychopen.eu
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01