Semantic Domains of Rational Numbers and the Acquisition of Fraction Equivalence.

This study examined how the semantic meanings of rational numbers embodied in graphical representations pose a constraint on children's construction of the concept of fraction equivalence. A test consisting of graphical representations representing the part-whole and measuring semantic meaning was given to 205 fifth-graders and 208 sixth-graders from China. Results showed that the fifth-graders' overall performance on equivalent fraction items was poor across the semantic domains of rational numbers. The sixth-graders showed significantly improved performance on the equivalent fraction items representing the part-whole relation but not on those representing the measure aspect of rational number. The results provide evidence that semantic meanings of fractional numbers in different relevant contexts also constitute a source of difficulty in children's constructing the concept of fraction equivalence, in addition to the multiplicative nature of the concept. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.