ERIC Number: EJ740424
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2006-Aug
Pages: 14
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0022-0965
EISSN: N/A
Children's Understanding of the Arithmetic Concepts of Inversion and Associativity
Robinson, Katherine M.; Ninowski, Jerilyn E.; Gray, Melissa L.
Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, v94 n4 p349-362 Aug 2006
Previous studies have shown that even preschoolers can solve inversion problems of the form a + b - b by using the knowledge that addition and subtraction are inverse operations. In this study, a new type of inversion problem of the form d x e [divided by] e was also examined. Grade 6 and 8 students solved inversion problems of both types as well as standard problems of the form a + b - c and d x e [divided by] f. Students in both grades used the inversion concept on both types of inversion problems, although older students used inversion more frequently and inversion was used most frequently on the addition/subtraction problems. No transfer effects were found from one type of inversion problem to the other. Students who used the concept of associativity on the addition/subtraction standard problems (e.g., a + b - c = [b - c] + a) were more likely to use the concept of inversion on the inversion problems, although overall implementation of the associativity concept was infrequent. The findings suggest that further study of inversion and associativity is important for understanding conceptual development in arithmetic.
Descriptors: Grade 6, Children, Arithmetic, Grade 8, Concept Formation, Problem Solving, Mathematics Education, Mathematical Concepts, Foreign Countries
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Grade 6; Grade 8
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Canada
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A