Meta-analysis about knowledge to teaching fractions division

Abstract

The aim of this article is to identify the main contributions of studies on teaching knowledge regarding the teaching and learning and to analyze how these results contribute to answering the question: which set of knowledge does a teacher need to teach and learn for fraction division? We performed a qualitative meta-analysis on this theme (considering both the mathematical and didactic-pedagogical dimension) through successive readings and content analysis of a corpus of 58 studies all resulting from the search in six databases (JSTOR, ERIC, CAPES Theses Bank, SciELO, Mathematics Teacher's Journal Database and Google Scholar). The results obtained provided the integrative vision of a set of knowledge involved in five large blocks, namely: 1. Definitions and notations; 2. Algorithms, their justifications and other procedures; 3. Interpretations and associated problems; 4. Instructional explanations, teaching proposals and didactic resources; 5. Aspects of student learning. We conclude the article by explaining the usefulness of this set of specialized knowledge to teach fraction division for graduates, teachers, trainers, and researchers, as well as their importance for improvement in the mathematic education and for the appreciation of the teaching profession.