Using Cooperative Learning to Overcome Students’ Misconceptions about Fractions

The purpose of this study was to identify misconceptions about Fractions among Year 4 students. In addition, the study also investigated effectiveness of Cooperative Learning in correcting students’ misconceptions about Fractions. This study was conducted among Year 4 students from two classes in a primary school in Johor Bahru. Sixty students (30 students for experimental group and 30 students for control group) of heterogeneous academic levels were involved in the study. Descriptive quantitative design was used in this study. A pre-test was given to students before treatment to investigate their misconceptions about Fractions. Students in the experimental group were taught for four weeks using STAD strategy which is a Cooperative Learning approach. However, students in the control group were taught for four weeks using a traditional method. A post-test was given after the treatment to investigate the effectiveness of Cooperative Learning in correcting students’ misconception about Fractions. The quantitative data were presented in percentages. Results of the study show that there are four misconceptions about Fractions among Year 4 students. First, the bigger the number of denominators, the bigger the Fractions; second, the students viewed whole number as numerator in Fractions; third, the students viewed numerator and denominator as separate numbers and fourth, students failed to find a common denominator. In addition, the findings of this study also show that cooperative learning is effective in correcting students’ misconceptions about Fractions. Therefore, Cooperative Learning is recommended to be used as a teaching strategy to overcome students’ misconceptions about Fractions.