Primary School Students’ Measurement Estimation Performance and Strategies They Used in Real Life Situations

Abstract

This study aimed at finding out performance and measurement estimation strategies of primary school fifth grade
students in real life situations. In addition, the study has also investigated the relationship between students’ success and the
strategy they used. Data were collected from 40 participants. Task-based interviews were conducted with 15 students
representing different achievement levels in mathematics. The results of the study indicated that primary school fifth grade
students had a tendency to primarily use rough guess strategy in order to determine the linear properties of real life objects.
Comparison and prior knowledge+ comparison strategies were used secondly by the participants. The strategies used by
participants varied according to the students’ achievement levels. Although high and typical achievers used comparison, unit
iteration, prior knowledge, chunking and using a combination of these, low achievers used rough guess strategy more often.
Implications for mathematics education at the elementary level were discussed