RECOGNIZING REFERENT UNIT IN FRACTION MULTIPLICATION PROBLEMS: IS THE WHOLE ALWAYS THE SAME?

Teachers' attention and flexibility on referent unit is important to better understand fractions and fractions operations while it is documented that teachers struggle with it. In this study, we explored teachers' different levels of identifying referent unit in a fraction multiplication problem involving a drawn representation. By analyzing data from five pilot interviews with five middle school mathematics teachers, we found out that teachers attended referent unit differently. Moreover, their different levels of mastering referent unit related to what they view as a whole through their thinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]