Innovative teaching strategy of using the “Transcard” model in conceptualizing fraction and decimal for primary mathematics education

Students are indeed weak when it comes to understanding fractions and decimals. In line with the national curriculum, whole numbers and fractions are taught first before students start to learn decimals. By the time the students approach decimals, they should have acquired sufficient knowledge of whole numbers but limited knowledge of fractions. Unfortunately, many students face difficulty learning the subsequent concept due to the misinformation or misconception that happened during previous years’ learning. The main objective of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of the innovative teaching strategy using the “Transcard” model in learning fractions and decimals and the perceptions of students towards this model. This study employed a mixed-methods research design, which comprises both quantitative and qualitative data analysis. 30 primary school students from the Chinese primary school in Johor Bahru were selected through convenience sampling. There were two instruments used to investigate student achievement in learning fractions and decimals after applying the “Transcard” model during the pre- and post-test. A semi-structured interview was conducted to explore the students’ perceptions upon applying the method. Data were analyzed using statistical package for social science version 25. The result of the paired sample t-test indicates that the students perform better after the application of the “Transcard” model in learning fractions and decimals. Findings from the interviews revealed that the application of the “Transcard” model has increased the level of understanding and spiked students’ motivation in learning fractions and decimals. This study may offer an alternative way for primary school teachers to teach fractions and decimals, as using the “Transcard” model provides an engaging and purposeful experience throughout the learning process.