Chinese Journal of Science Education


Vol. 13 No. 1 , Pages 29 - 52 , 2005

A Study for Diagnostic Teaching on Decimals (Article written in Chinese)

Man-Li LIU

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to explore the process of diagnostic teaching on decimals and the effects on students’ misconceptions. Subjects were 98 students in grades 4 and 5 from four classes in four elementary schools from south Taiwan. Data were collected from written tests, videotapes of teaching, and interviews. Data analysis was conducted using both quantitative and qualitative aspects. During the process of diagnostic teaching, (a) seven misconceptions for fourth graders and three misconceptions for fifth graders were diagnosed, (b) five strategies of provoking cognitive conflict were implemented, two-to-one, reverses, one-to-many, using referents, and representations, and (c) four ways of clarifying misconceptions were used, manipulating concretes, connecting pure decimals and fractions, dividing into equal parts and using a notation system. In addition, the main results indicate that (a) diagnostic teaching can raise and retain the results of students’ performance on decimals, and (b) diagnostic teaching can overcome students’ misconceptions of decimals.

Keywords: diagnostic teaching; decimals

[Chinese Version | Index | Chinese Journal of Science Education | Other Journals | Subscription form | Enquiry ]


Mail any comments and suggestions to hkier-journal@cuhk.edu.hk .