ERROR PATTERNS IN ORDERING AND COMPARING FRACTIONS AMONG FOURTH-GRADE STUDENTS

Abstract

The study aimed to identify the pattern of misconceptions and analyze their causes. In this study, a test containing fraction-based problems was administered to a sample of 60 students in grade 4. Descriptive statistical analysis showed mean, median 7 and mode at 6 making it moderate performance with a total score of 6.90 The standard deviation is 1.67, and the variance was 2.80, indicating varying students' understanding in this range of 7. Noteworthily, 52.3% of errors were reported in ordering and comparing questions signalling that the students encounter immense conceptual difficulty. Your research showed that many students struggled with conceptual understanding issues like whole number bias, incorrectly interpreting the denominator, and in using benchmarking fractions. The results demonstrate that without a strong conceptual understanding students struggle to compare fractions.