Impact of using virtual and concrete manipulatives on students’ learning of fractions

Fraction is considered one of the main topics in mathematics in the early years. Many students struggle to progress in fractions in the classrooms and on exams. Teaching strategies are among the most important factors affecting student learning of fractions. The objective of this study was to examine the effectiveness of virtual and concrete manipulatives for teaching and learning fraction addition and subtraction to fifth-grade students in selected private schools in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. The study employed a quasi-experimental approach in which 81 students (40 male and 41 female) in four groups of grade-five participated in the pretest, intervention, and posttest. The intervention was provided by teaching fraction addition and subtraction by using concrete and virtual manipulatives. Inferential statistics such as Wilcoxon Signed Ranked test, Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal Wallis test were employed. The results indicated that student achievement in learning fractions using concrete manipulatives was better than virtual manipulatives. Also, girls’ progress in learning fractions was more significant than boys. The findings of this study could help mathematics education by enhancing teaching strategies that have significant implications for improving students’ fraction computation skills.