The Effects of Mathematical Virtual Manipulatives on Fifth Graders' Fraction Concept

[[abstract]]This study examined the effects of mathematical virtual manipulative on fifth Graders’ performance and representational fluency in equivalent fraction. Studnets’ attitude toward mathematical learning and toward virtual manipulatives were also analyzed. Quasi-experiment design was implemented. A class with 26 students was assigned as the experimental group, and the other class with 24 students as the control group. The experimental group used virtual manipulatives, and the control group used teacher-made handouts. Data sources included a pretest and a posttest of students’ equivalent fraction concepts and a student attitude survey. The results indicated that students’ performance using virtual manipulatives were better than student performance using teacher-made handouts. In terms of representational fluency, students using virtual manipulatives were better than students using teacher-made handouts. Translations from symbolic to symbolic representation and translations from pictorial to symbolic representations were significant. Student attitude survey indicated the majority of students had positive attitudes toward using the fraction virtual manipulatives to learn fraction concepts.