Describes an attempt to encourage fifth- and sixth-graders to invent their own ways of solving problems involving division with fractions. Emphasizes the importance of social interaction in Piaget's constructivism and explains why debate and verification are important for children's construction of logico-mathematical knowledge. (22 references)…

This paper describes how a target group of seven students in a combined fourth and fifth grade mathematics class used structured representations to solve fraction problems situated within various realistic contexts. Emphasis is given to the ways in which students' thinking about rational number concepts influences and is influenced by the…