STUDENT TEACHERS’ UNDERSTANDING OF RATIONAL NUMBER: PART-WHOLE AND NUMERICAL CONSTRUCTS

Abstract

Previous research has shown that secondary school students’ understanding of fractions is dominated by the part-whole concept to the possible detriment of their understanding of a fraction as a number in its own right. The present paper reports on an investigation into the understanding of intending primary teachers in this area. Four representatives of a cohort of sixty students on a PGCE course specialising in the lower primary age range were asked detailed questions probing their knowledge of fractions. The conclusion was that the part-whole concept dominates. All of the students were familiar with the numerical concept from their work on the PGCE course, but they reverted to the more familiar part-whole ideas in attempting to solve problems.