ERIC Number: EJ793486
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008
Pages: 9
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0022-0671
EISSN: N/A
Reversing Education Majors' Arithmetic Misconceptions with Short-Term Instruction Using Manipulatives
Green, Michael; Piel, John A.; Flowers, Claudia
Journal of Educational Research, v101 n4 p234-242 Mar-Apr 2008
The authors examined the impact of manipulative-based instruction on 2 independent cohorts of preservice elementary teachers. In Study 1, 50 participants engaged in problem solving with operations on whole numbers and fractions using concrete and representational manipulatives over 5 classes. Pre- to posttest performance on a mathematics survey and division-of-fractions task showed significant improvement in arithmetic knowledge, accompanied by a significant decrease in arithmetic misconceptions. Study 2 replicated Study 1 findings with an independent sample of 39 volunteers. These results indicate that manipulatives can effectively and efficiently reverse long-standing arithmetic misconceptions and increase arithmetic knowledge before education majors enter classrooms as full-time teachers. (Contains 4 tables and 1 figure.)
Descriptors: Education Majors, Preservice Teachers, Arithmetic, Misconceptions, Mathematics Instruction, Manipulative Materials, Elementary School Teachers, Mathematics Teachers, Problem Solving, Knowledge Level, Mathematics Skills
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education; Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A