Exploration of primary school teacher students’ understanding in fraction concept

Abstract

Fraction is a very complex mathematical material which must be mastered by every teacher who teaches in elementary school. Fraction concept understanding is very prominent because it is a prerequisite for comprehension in advanced mathematical concepts. In contrast with the other mathematical subjects in general, the fraction concept is considered as difficult material because it has many definitions. It creates a sustainable pedagogical challenge among the mathematics education community. Therefore, it must be ensured that all students of primary school teacher (PGSD students) have understood the concept of fraction before they teach in school. This research was conducted to explore the comprehension of the fraction concept among PGSD students. This research was in a form of qualitative research by employing test questions related to the concept of fractions toward 23 PGSD students. In this research, comprehension related to the aspect was tested through an analysis of non-standard problem solving processes that were verified by interviews. The results of the analysis showed that none of the students were completely correct in solving the problem. The main cause of the occurrence of the many errors in respondents was because they experienced false convictions or misconception related to the concept of fraction. For further research, we believe that PGSD students would have a proper comprehension of the fraction concept if at the beginning of the learning they receive reinforcement related to the concept.