Abstract:
Developing mathematical reasoning competency has become a central objective of competency-based
mathematics education because it enables primary school students to explain mathematical ideas,
justify solutions, and solve mathematical problems through logical reasoning. Fractions and fraction
operations are among the most conceptually demanding topics in Grade 4 mathematics and provide
important opportunities for fostering students' mathematical reasoning. This study investigated the
current status of teaching fractions and fraction operations to develop mathematical reasoning
competency and established an empirical foundation for designing instructional strategies. A mixed methods research design was employed, including questionnaire surveys, classroom observations,
interviews, and document analysis. The study involved 16 Grade 4 teachers and 205 Grade 4 students
from two primary schools in Bac Ninh Province, Vietnam. The findings revealed that all participating
teachers recognized the importance of developing mathematical reasoning competency, and most
reported that they regularly integrated this objective into mathematics instruction. However, classroom
practice remained largely focused on basic mathematical thinking and procedural problem solving,
while opportunities for students to construct mathematical arguments and justify their reasoning were
comparatively limited. Traditional instructional approaches were still widely adopted despite teachers'
awareness of competency-based teaching. These findings demonstrate the need for systematic
instructional strategies that support teachers in integrating mathematical reasoning into the teaching of
fractions and fraction operations. The study provides practical evidence for improving competency based mathematics instruction and promoting mathematical reasoning competency among Grade 4
students. |
