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Number sense performance of primary 4 students in two schools
Author
Teh, Wan
Supervisor
Foong, Pui Yee
Abstract
The main aim of this study is to explore the students' status of performance in number sense. Another aim is to find out the relationship between the students' mathematics achievement as measured by the schools' Semestral Assessment and Number Sense performance by the Number Sense (NS) test.
In this study, a Number Sense (NS) test, which consisted thirty-five questions, was administered to 207 primary 4 students in two neighbourhood schools. This NS test was adopted from McIntosh, Reys, & Reys (1992) which defined number sense as a person's general understanding of number and operations and the ability and inclination to use this understanding in flexible ways to make mathematical judgements and to develop useful and efficient strategies for managing numerical situations. They categorised the NS test items under 6 strands : number concepts, multiple representations, effect of operations, equivalent expressions, computing and counting strategies and measurement benchmarks. It is hoped that the assessment of number sense will provide tangible evidence of students' level of understanding regarding numbers, number magnitude and effect of operations. This would raise teachers' awareness of the effect of instruction on the development of number sense.
It was found that the overall number sense performance for this group of P4 students falls between the range of 'developing and average'. The overall performance across strands show that majority of the P4 students' number concepts sense were not well developed. However in certain strands, students showed understanding that numbers take many different forms and they were aware of the effect of operations on numbers. They could translate expressions to equivalent forms and implement a solution process to a computing and counting situation. The number sense performance analysed across topics show that the students were average in their whole number concepts and operations. The number sense performance in fractions was also average. However, for decimals, the students were weaker in their performance as their operations of decimals were still developing.
The results also indicated that the statistical correlation between the students' mathematics achievement as measured by the Semestral Assessment and Number Sense performance by the Number Sense (NS) test was high. This high positive relationship implies that students with good number sense tend to perform better in the semestral mathematics assessment.
In this study, a Number Sense (NS) test, which consisted thirty-five questions, was administered to 207 primary 4 students in two neighbourhood schools. This NS test was adopted from McIntosh, Reys, & Reys (1992) which defined number sense as a person's general understanding of number and operations and the ability and inclination to use this understanding in flexible ways to make mathematical judgements and to develop useful and efficient strategies for managing numerical situations. They categorised the NS test items under 6 strands : number concepts, multiple representations, effect of operations, equivalent expressions, computing and counting strategies and measurement benchmarks. It is hoped that the assessment of number sense will provide tangible evidence of students' level of understanding regarding numbers, number magnitude and effect of operations. This would raise teachers' awareness of the effect of instruction on the development of number sense.
It was found that the overall number sense performance for this group of P4 students falls between the range of 'developing and average'. The overall performance across strands show that majority of the P4 students' number concepts sense were not well developed. However in certain strands, students showed understanding that numbers take many different forms and they were aware of the effect of operations on numbers. They could translate expressions to equivalent forms and implement a solution process to a computing and counting situation. The number sense performance analysed across topics show that the students were average in their whole number concepts and operations. The number sense performance in fractions was also average. However, for decimals, the students were weaker in their performance as their operations of decimals were still developing.
The results also indicated that the statistical correlation between the students' mathematics achievement as measured by the Semestral Assessment and Number Sense performance by the Number Sense (NS) test was high. This high positive relationship implies that students with good number sense tend to perform better in the semestral mathematics assessment.
Date Issued
2005
Call Number
QA63 Teh
Date Submitted
2005