Xu, C., Di Lonardo Burr, S. orcid.org/0000-0001-6338-9621, Li, H. et al. (2 more authors) (2024) From whole numbers to fractions to word problems: hierarchical relations in mathematics knowledge for Chinese Grade 6 students. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 242. 105884. ISSN 0022-0965
Abstract
It is well established in the literature that fraction knowledge is important for learning more advanced mathematics, but the hierarchical relations among whole number arithmetic, fraction knowledge, and mathematics word problem-solving are not well understood. In the current study, Chinese Grade 6 students (N = 1160; 465 girls; Mage = 12.1 years, SD = 0.6) completed whole number arithmetic (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division), fraction (mapping, equivalence, comparison, and arithmetic), and mathematics word problem-solving assessments. They also completed two control measures: number writing speed and nonverbal intelligence. Structural equation modeling was used to investigate the hierarchical relations among these assessments. Among the four fraction tasks, the correlations were low to moderate, suggesting that each task may tap into a unique aspect of fraction understanding. In the model, whole number arithmetic was directly related to all four fraction tasks, but was only indirectly related to mathematics word problem-solving, through fraction arithmetic. Only fraction arithmetic, the most advanced fraction skill, directly predicted mathematics word problem-solving. These findings are consistent with the view that students need to build these associations into their mathematics hierarchy to advance their mathematical competence.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). |
Keywords: | Chinese students; Fraction arithmetic; Fraction magnitude; Hierarchical relations; Whole number arithmetic; Word problem-solving |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Science (Sheffield) > Department of Psychology (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 29 Feb 2024 12:25 |
Last Modified: | 29 Feb 2024 12:25 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Elsevier BV |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1016/j.jecp.2024.105884 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:209725 |