Investigating Student's Understanding of the Area and Perimeter of Rectangles through Problem-Solving

Numerous studies (Anwar et al., 2016; Carpenter et al., 1980; Huang & Witz, 2013; Outhred & Mitchelmore, 1996; Machaba, 2016; Van de Walle, Karp & Bay-Williams, 2014; Winarti et al., 2012) have shown that students need help understanding the concept of area and perimeter. This study aimed to investigate what students know about finding the area and perimeter of rectangles through problem-solving. The participants for the study were five 4th Graders from a public school located in a mid-size suburb setting outside the Chicago metropolitan area. Participants were asked to solve five problem-solving tasks, after which an interview was conducted for three out of the five participants. Results showed that students did not understand the concept of the area and perimeter of rectangles. Implications for the study, as well as future research, were also discussed. [For the complete proceedings, see ED658295.]