The Learning of Fractions and Attitude Towards It Does Not Add Up

The Malaysian school mathematics curriculum clearly states that the main aspect in the learning of fractions is to build and develop students’ understanding in the concept and at the same time attain high facility in making sense of its learning. In this context, how students think and make sense of their learning in relation to their attitude towards learning have been a major concern for policy makers and educators worldwide. Thus, this study was embarked with the aim to investigate the relationship between fractional sense attitude towards mathematics among secondary school students. A total of 474 students comprising 147 Form 1 students, 203 Form 2 students and 124 Form 4 students participated in this study utilizing a descriptive-correlational design. Two instruments namely Attitude Towards Mathematics Inventory (ATMI) and Fractional Sense Test (FST) was adapted from previous research for the purpose of this study. The findings indicate that students obtained a low-level attainment in the fractional sense test with a mean score of 10.31 (SD=4.95) from a maximum score of 30. In other words, these students obtained a low percentage score of 34.37% in the fractional sense test. The findings also found a weak but significant relationship between students’ attitude towards mathematics and fractional sense achievement among the students involved in this study. Thus, considering the above scenarios, it is important to understand the factors that influence students’ conceptual understanding in the learning of fraction and their attitude towards mathematics. Students who do not have a strong sense of fractions tend to rely on the procedures taught to work with fractions are more exposed to incorrect procedures, misconceptions, and flawed reasoning in solving problems. The commitment to develop fractional sense requires a dramatic shift in the way students learn mathematics in today’s classroom as it does not add up to the expectation of the curriculum requirement.