Understanding primary school children’s learning on addition of fractions

Abstract

Fractions are universally known to be difficult to learn. Learning basic fractions may not be sustainable if one is to apply it to more advanced mathematical content knowledge as it is interlinked with other mathematics topics. In the effort to understand how children grasp the learning of fractions additions, a study was carried out with a random sampling of Years 4, 5 and 6 children in Brunei Darussalam. The research participants consisted of 33 children who are currently studying at government and private primary schools in Brunei. A pen-and-paper self-designed test was used as an instrument in collecting the data. The quantitative data was analysed by using a descriptive analysis method. The overall reliability of the self-designed tests indicated that the items have relatively high internal consistency with a Cronbach alpha of .859. The findings revealed that the children’s understanding is stronger on questions with answers regarding proper fractions rather than improper fractions. This could be further explored through future studies employing a qualitative approach.