TI-AIE: Making students believe they CAN do mathematics: operations on fractions

What this unit is about

Students often find fractions a difficult topic to understand – and one that can trigger negative emotional responses in students. Learning about operations on fractions presents a further challenge.

In this unit you will explore the use of techniques to enable students to visualise when reading mathematical notations. Visualisation can also act as a tool for students who get stuck, as it can help to reduce their ‘mathematical trauma’. This unit also builds on ideas developed in the unit Asking questions that challenge thinking: fractions.

Pause for thought Think back to when you last taught operations on fractions. Think of a student who was not finding it easy to understand what to do. Try to remember what was getting in the way of their understanding.