THE IMPORTANCE OF CONTEXT IN PRESENTING FRACTION PROBLEMS TO HELP STUDENTS FORMULATE MODELS AND REPRESENTATIONS AS SOLUTION STRATEGIES

Drawing on research with middle grades students, and preservice and inservice teachers of mathematics, we provide an analysis and discussion of work related to a particular contextualized mathematical situation involving fractional quantities and proportional relationships. We examine ways in which individuals utilize contextual aspects of the mathematical situation to visually represent solutions within mathematical structures of ratios and proportions. We provide our perceptions of the ways in which district and teacher leaders may engender the importance of contextualizing and decontextualizing within the framework of the Standards for Mathematical Practice.