A Survey Study Of Sixth Graders Solving Estimation Problems

Estimation is becoming more and more important to students' life and learning.However,there is a contradiction between the development expectation of students' estimation ability and learning practice.The current situation of mathematics estimation teaching in primary school is not optimistic.Therefore,in the context of the current new curriculum reform,the performance of students in solving estimation problems is worthy of further research.This study uses the methods of literature analysis,test and interview to study the accuracy and use of estimation strategies of grade 6 students in solving three types of estimation problems:data reconstruction,formula conversion and profit and loss complementarity.The test results and analysis get the overall estimation performance of grade 6 students,The interview results and analysis have an in-depth understanding of the students' ideas and thinking process when solving estimation problems,and the following conclusions are obtained by summarizing the data:First,the overall estimation performance of grade 6 students is poor,the estimation level is in the middle,there is no "bipolar" trend,and there is a good basis to improve the estimation level.Second,actuarial strategy is a strategy with high utilization rate for students to solve estimation problems.Students' inability or unwillingness to use estimation is the main reason.Some students confuse the connotation of estimation and approximate value,and understand that taking approximate value of actuarial results is estimation.Third,students will change the estimation strategy according to the difficulty of estimation.In the easiest "reformulation" dimension,students use "complete estimation" at most,while in the more difficult " translation" and "compensation" dimensions,students use "small estimation" and "partial estimation" at most.Facing the problems of students' performance estimation,the following teaching suggestions are put forward:First,teachers should focus on the selection and innovative design of mathematical problems,guide students to use actuarial and estimation to solve the same problem,and help students feel the value of "estimation" in the comparison of actuarial and estimation.Second,teaching materials should appropriately increase the design of "translation" and "compensation" problems.Teachers should also collect and design different types of estimation problems to facilitate students' practice.Third,teachers should strengthen the teaching of multiple estimation strategies,guide students to try to use different estimation strategies to solve problems,feel the most appropriate estimation strategies,and achieve the optimization of problem solving.