The Study of Elementary School Teachers’ Knowledge Related Computational Estimation and Students’ Performance about Estimation

• Main Authors: Ting-Rung Pan, 潘亭蓉
• Other Authors: Yea-Ling Tsao
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2007
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/17916173442598570259

碩士 === 臺北市立教育大學 === 數學資訊教育研究所 === 95 === The purpose of this study is to investigate students’ performance and attitude about computational estimation, teachers’ knowledge related estimation and both each other. The researcher selected 6 fifth-grade elementary mathematics teachers and administered "Computational Estimation Test" and "Computational Estimation attitude Scale" to students who are in these six teachers classes. Fifteen students were selected for individual interviews for the progress and initial strategy student use when presented with problem on Computational Estimation Test. In addition, the researcher interviewed 6 fifth-grade elementary mathematics teachers regarding their understanding about the knowledge of computational estimation and computational estimation attitude. The major findings are as follows: The students’ average ratio of the correct answers to the questions of Computational Estimation Test was 58.48％, theirs attitude about computational estimation was positive. The case students have the progress about reformulation, translation, compensation and they can use the various computational estimation strategies, and so called "Rounding strategy" was used the most frequently. The other strategies containing "Front-end strategy", "Adjusting with front-end estimation", "Compatible number strategy", "Special numbers strategy", "Rounding two numbers", "Rounding one number", "Distributivity", and "Use of Benchmark", etc. In the teacher's knowledge about computational estimation aspect, six teachers can explain the meaning of computational estimation, and use computational estimation strategy to solve problems flexibly. Among them, three teachers were more abundant of the knowledge about computational estimation relatively, they can incorporate mathematics course with computational estimation, or combine with other mathematics concepts, require students to examine the answer and its rationality by computational estimation, introduce the life situation with teaching to improve student's learning motivation. In the teacher's attitude of computational estimation aspect, five teachers' attitude about computational estimation were positive. In conclusion, the students' performance of their teacher with the mathematics and physics background was better, and the same with "Integer", "Fraction"; The teachers' computational estimation strategy to solve a problem without having direct influence on students. In addition, the teachers' attitude about computational estimation was having the positive influence on students, and the students' attitude of their teacher with mathematics and physics background was more positive. Base on the findings, the study proposes suggestions to school teachers, course designer and further studies respectively.