EJMT Abstract

Multiplicative reasoning is essential for developing meaningful understandings of fractions, rational number, and algebraic relationships. Several mobile applications are available for parents and teachers to download and supplement elementary students’ learning experiences with multiplication and division, and some studies support the use of various apps for improving students’ mathematical skill. As valuable as quasi-experimental studies of app effectiveness are, there is often a need for further detail regarding not whether an app can improve students’ mathematical understanding, but in what conditions such change occurs. The present study examined fifth grade students’ reported strategy use to examine the effect on growth in multiplicative reasoning. Findings suggest that students who focus on more advanced unit coordination (units of units of units) demonstrated positive growth, whereas students who coordinated less complex units (units of units) did not demonstrate growth.