Further evidence of conceptual difficulties with decimal notation

Abstract: Over 3000 students in Grades 4 to 10 completed about 10000 tests to identify and track their conceptions about decimal notation. This paper reports the incidence of two particular error-patterns on these tests and how this incidence changes over time, from cross-sectional and longitudinal viewpoints. At some time, approximately 3% of students answered almost all test items incorrectly and over 10% were unable to compare decimal numbers with the same tenths and hundredths digits. Explanations for these error-patterns are given.

Steinle, V., & Stacey, K. (2002). Further evidence of conceptual difficulties with decimal notation. In B. Barton, K. Irwin, M. Pfannkuch & M. Thomas (Eds.), Proceedings of the 25th annual conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia (Vol. 2, pp. 633-640). Auckland : MERGA.