Let’s try to find out the reasons, which make Fractions difficult for students.
Fraction has been often considered as one of the momentous culprits in terrorising people about mathematics. One of the reasons is, it is very difficult to grasp the abstractness of fractions. Unlike other number sets like natural numbers and whole numbers, fraction does not seem to be a part of their understanding of number system for counting.
Secondly, students’ understanding becomes poorer and misunderstanding becomes wider, once the rules of operations of fractions are introduced. Why? Because, before students start developing and visualising their understanding of fractions as numbers, the complex rules to carry out operations of fractions are introduced.
Thirdly, the way it is being introduced and practices are given add spices to the misunderstanding of the actual concept.
Fourthly, Fractions are being taught with what to do and how to do (procedures to do) approach but never with why to do approach. As a result students don’t understand why is it done and they start rote memorising. At the end of the day, the concept becomes complicated for them to understand. And they are not able to apply the concept correctly or they apply it incorrectly. For example, while converting a mixed fraction into improper fraction, we tell students to multiply the whole number with the denominator and then add the numerator. Nothing wrong in the procedure. But the question here is, is it enough? Precisely not. We also need to tell them why is this procedure needed to carry out operations.
And finally, mostly teachers are not able to connect the concept of fractions with real life situations of students.
To Be Continued…