Fifth-Grade Students’ Conceptual Understanding of Fractions: A Qualitative Study
Abstract
Understanding fraction concepts is a fundamental foundation for mathematics learning at the elementary school level; however, students often struggle to connect symbols, visual representations, the characteristics of fraction forms, and operations in contextual problems. This study aimed to describe fifth-grade students' understanding of fraction concepts at UPT SD Negeri 041 Padang. A qualitative descriptive design was employed, involving three participants purposively selected to represent high, moderate, and low mathematics ability categories. Data were collected through a fraction concept understanding test consisting of five essay items and task-based interviews. The test instrument and interview guide were validated by two experts using Aiken's V index, yielding average values of 0.875 and 0.861, respectively. Data were analyzed interactively through data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing and verification. The credibility of the findings was maintained through method triangulation among written responses, interviews, and field notes. The results revealed three patterns of understanding. Students with stronger understanding were able to explain equivalent fractions, classify mixed fractions, distinguish common fractions from whole numbers, represent fractions visually, and systematically apply fraction operations in contextual problems. Students with partial understanding could verbally explain basic concepts but were inconsistent in classifying fraction forms and translating symbols into visual representations. Students with lower understanding tended to rely on surface features, such as visual similarity or the presence of specific numbers, without fully grasping the quantitative relationship among numerator, denominator, and fraction value. These findings underscore the need for fraction assessment to evaluate students' answers, reasoning, representations, and strategies in an integrated manner. Fraction instruction should connect concrete objects, visual representations, symbols, and contextual problems, while encouraging students to explain and verify their problem-solving strategies.