Third- to fourth-grade students' conceptions of multiplication and area measurement

In this study, 34 children were evaluated in order to elucidate their multiplicative thinking and interpretation of the area formula of a rectangle, and to determine what roles these factors play in solving area measurement problems. One-on-one interviews and problem-solving tasks were employed to explore the problem-solving skills of the children regarding these two concepts. This study also explored how the associations changed throughout two consecutive phases, from the third to the fourth grades. The results indicated that in the third grade, multiplicative thinking was associated with the solving of area measurement problems. Third-grade children who understood the meaning of the multiplication symbol ''p x q'' in models (e.g., the set model and arrays) outperformed children who understood only partial multiplicative concepts or additive thinking; however, the association between multiplicative thinking and solving area measurement problems was not significant in the fourth grade. In contrast, children's ability to interpret the area formula of a rectangle was associated with their performance at solving area measurement problems throughout the third and fourth grades. The way of interpreting the area formula was associated with the extent to which the children understood multiplication, area measurement, and the spatial concepts embedded in rectangular figures. The instructional implications of the study are discussed in terms of developing child abilities to solve area measurement problems by connecting multiplication and area measurement.