General Understanding Regarding to the Fraction and Rational Number Concepts

Abstract

The aim of the current research is to examine the studies carried out to determine the understanding of the concepts of fraction and rational number of students, teachers and prospective teachers and to reveal the general understanding by synthesizing the findings of these studies. For this purpose, meta-synthesis research method, in which qualitative studies are again interpreted and synthesized with a qualitative understanding, was used in the study. Within the scope of the study, a total of 14 studies conducted in Turkey within the framework of the qualitative research paradigm were examined in order to reveal the understanding regarding to the concepts of fraction and rational number. Content analysis was used in the analysis of the obtained data. As a result of the research; It has been determined that students, teachers and prospective teachers have various understandings regarding to the concepts of fraction and rational number. One of the remarkable results is that the prospective teachers have an understanding that the numerator and denominator of the fraction are real numbers, while the teachers have an understanding that the numerator and denominator can be integer, natural number or positive integer. Also, it was found that students associate the rational number with negativity while associating the fraction with positivity.