Many authorities have recommended that estimation be a regular part of the elementary and secondary curriculum. Prior research has indicated that elementary school students can learn to estimate sums, differences, and products of whole numbers, but no research has been carried out for estimation of quotients. / This study investigated whether seventh graders can learn to estimate decimal quotients mentally, which of two quotient-estimation techniques might be more suitable, and what effect having learned to estimate might have upon calculation errors. / This research used two seventh-grade classes in one school as the population sample. Through computer selection, this school randomly selected its students so that they represented the entire Tallahassee, Florida community in race, sex, and ability. Each class was randomly divided into three equal groups: the first was randomly assigned to a quotient-estimation technique based directly upon a previously learned place-value long division strategy; the second to a more universally applicable technique; the third to a control (no-estimation) group. / Following instruction in the long-division strategy, a decimal-division achievement pretest (O(,1)) was administered to all students a week before the estimation instruction. While both experimental groups were taught the estimation instruction within 3 days, the control group was given a fraction review not related to decimal division. An estimation achievement test (O(,2)) was administered to all groups on the day following the instruction, with each question shown with overhead projection for fifteen seconds. A decimal-division achievement posttest (O(,3)) took place the day following the estimation test. / Analysis of covariance was used to test whether there were any differences among the three groups on the estimation test. Scores on test O(,1) served as the covariate. A null hypothesis of no difference was rejected at the 0.05 level. Using the Newman-Keuls range test it was found that the first quotient-estimation technique was more effective than either the second quotient-estimation technique or the control. Gain scores from O(,1) to O(,3) were used to determine whether being a successful decimal-quotient estimator could have any effect upon student ability to compute; no significant effect was found. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 46-06, Section: A, page: 1548. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1985.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_75588 |
| Contributors | ABED, ADNAN SALIM., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 109 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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