The Effects Of A Ratio-based Teaching Sequence On Performance In Fraction Equivalency For Students With Mathematics Disabilities

This study examined the effects of a ratio-based supplemental teaching sequence on third grade students‘ equivalent fraction performance as measured by a curriculum-based measure and a standardized test. Participants included students identified as being learning disabled in mathematics (MLD), struggling (SS), or typically achieving (TA). Nineteen students were assigned to the experimental group and 19 additional students formed the control group. The difference between the two groups was that the experimental group received the ratio-based teaching sequence. Both groups continued to receive textbook based instruction in fraction equivalency concepts in their regular mathematics classroom. Qualitative interviews were employed to further investigate the thinking of each of the three types of students in the study. Analyses of the data indicated that students in the experimental group outperformed the control group on both the curriculum-based measure and the standardized measure of fraction equivalency. All students who participated in ratio-based instruction had a higher performance in fraction equivalency than those who did not. Performance on the CBM and the standardized measure of fraction equivalency improved significantly from pre to post test for students who struggled; their performance also transferred to standardized measures. Qualitative analyses revealed that a focal student with MLD, while improving his ability to think multiplicatively, had misconceptions about fractions as ratios that persisted even after the intervention was completed. Implications for instruction, teacher preparation, and future research are provide