A Study on Primary grade students' errors when using rulers,paper presented at National conference on Regional Development 2011 at South Eastern University of Sri Lanka

1. A study on primary grade
students’ errors when using rulers
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T.Mukunthan & P.Seneviratne
Dept. Early Childhood and Primary Education,
The Open University of Sri Lanka,
11.12.2011 1

2. Outline of the presentation
• Introduction
• Problem
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• Objectives
• Sample
• Methodology
• Findings & Conclusions 2
•

3. Introduction
Measuring the
length using the
ruler is an important
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skill to the students
and the general public.
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4. Introduction
People are measuring the length of the
objects several times in their day to day
life.
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5. Introduction (Con…)
Sri Lankan Primary Mathematics
syllabi consist of six main topics –
• Numbers,
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• Mathematical Operations,( +, -, x, / )
• Measurement (length, weight, time,
• Money,
• Space and Shapes,
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• Data Handling.

6. Introduction (Con…)
Out of these topics
measurement consists
the following sub topics:
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(i) length and distance
(ii) weight
(iii) Capacity and volume
(iv)Time 6
(v) Area.

7. Introduction (Con…)
Idea of length starts with
• Comparing two lengths in Grade 1 (6
years)
it develops as
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• measuring and comparing a length with
an arbitrary unit
• measuring the given lengths using an
arbitrary unit, comparing and ordering
them
in Grade 2, 7

8. Introduction (Con…)
Introducing the concept of
• standard measuring units,
• estimating a length in metre
• measuring a length in metre and in
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centimeter
start in Grade 3.
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9. Introduction (Con…)
• estimating and measuring in
metre or centimeter,
• Introducing standard
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symbols - m and cm
• Addition and subtraction
involving metre and
centimeter in
Grade 4 9

10. Introduction (Con…)
• Introducing millimeter.
• A simple calculation in length,
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• Involving the four mathematical
operations
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starts in Grade 5.

11. Problem
• In-service advisors, primary
teachers and parents have noted
that, the primary school children
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are unable to measure the length
using ruler perfectly.
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12. Objective
• Identify the errors in measuring
length using ruler in primary school
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children.
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13. Sample
• The sample was selected from Grade 4 in
four 1 AB type Tamil medium schools in
Colombo Education Zone
1AB schools Boys Girls Total
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School 1 28 26 54
School 2 28 26 54
School 3 28 26 54
School 4 28 26 54 13
Total 112 104 216

14. Methodology
• The researcher asked the children to
measure the length or height of following:
• pencil,
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• edge of a box,
• width of class room window,
• height of students’ chair
• distance between two given points.
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15. Methodology
• After the measure the length or height
they were asked to write those on a paper.
• The children return with lots of different
answers even though they were
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measuring identical objects.
• The students were interviewed to identify
the reasons for making such errors.
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16. The following types of errors
were identified
• (i) The children start to measure
from 1cm instead of 0 cm (24%)
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17. types of errors
• (ii) The children have failed to
measure in parallel direction (27%)
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18. types of errors
(iii) The children start to measure from the edge
of the ruler ( when zero does not start at the
end of the ruler which they are using) (33%)
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19. types of errors
(iv). The children have failed to mark
accurately before moving the ruler along when
measuring lengths longer than the ruler(14%)
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20. types of errors
(v) The children have read the number from the
other edge of the ruler when it has scales on both
edges (processing in different directions) (2%)
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21. Summary & recommendation
• There were five main types of errors
identified in measuring the length using
the ruler.
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• The teachers, In-services Advisors and
the Curriculum Developers have to
consider the finding of this study when
they teach or develop the curriculum
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22. Suggestions
1. Teacher to be trained in measuring
length ,height using ruler during
work shop
2. Students work have to monitored by
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the ISA and give feedback
3. The concept of correct usage of ruler
also should be included in
summative and formative evaluation
time. 22

23. You
Thank
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