PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS’ (IN)CONSISTENCY IN INCORRECTLY REASONING ABOUT FRACTIONS

Primary and secondary school students, and even undergraduates often use incorrect ways of reasoning when comparing fractions. Well-documented examples are simple comparison of natural numbers (natural number bias), reverse bias, and gap thinking. However, empirical research addressing such reasoning in pre-service elementary teachers (PTs) is scarce. We investigated the existence and consistency of 93 PTs’ incorrect reasoning through a fraction comparison test and a vignette. Many PTs’ remained consistent with their reasoning when responding to the vignette, which seems to indicate that these incorrect ways of reasoning were stable and resistant to change. Most PTs who were inconsistent did not necessarily adapt their reasoning towards the better. The results indicate a need for addressing the topic in teacher training.