Vol. 41 No. `1 (2016): THE PRIMARY TEACHER
Articles

Understanding Rational Numbers1 : Are the Textbooks helping?

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  • SONA V. ANDREW

Published 2016-01-31

Keywords

  • B El ED students,
  • irrational number,
  • fractions

How to Cite

ANDREW, S. V. . (2016). Understanding Rational Numbers1 : Are the Textbooks helping?. THE PRIMARY TEACHER, 41(`1), p.45-54. http://14.139.250.109:8090/index.php/tpt/article/view/1267

Abstract

Classroom discussions with students of pre-service elementary education programme (B El ED2) on the concept of rational numbers has made me reflect on their understanding of rational numbers. During one of the discussions with third-year B El ED students, I asked them what is a rational number? The students gave me the definition of rational number that they had learnt in school. They said, “A rational number is any number in the form a/b, where b≠0”, while “an irrational number is a number that cannot be expressed in the form a/b, where b≠0”

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