When Less Isn't More: A Real-World Fraction Intervention Study

Although an understanding of fractions is a critical precursor for other mathematical concepts, including proportional reasoning, algebra, and success in STEM fields, surveys of mathematics education in the United States indicate that school-age children lack age-appropriate math skills and proficiency. Thus, understanding the critical precursors of fraction knowledge is important for the development of instructional materials. The aim of the present study was to examine whether instructional format affected children’s learning and transfer of fraction concepts, and whether individual variables such as executive function and math knowledge moderated these effects. Sixto 8-year-old children participated in a longitudinal, pre/post test design, in which they received a fraction-training intervention. Critically, we manipulated the extent to which real-world instruction was grounded in visual vs. symbolic representations. We find that 1 and 2 graders were able to learn fraction concepts following this intervention, despite having no formal fraction education. The extent to which the instructional stimuli were grounded in visual vs. symbolic representations affected children’s proportional reasoning knowledge in a transfer task, and condition effects were moderated my children’s working memory and prior math knowledge. This work has implications for instructional design and curriculum development in the classroom.