The role of cognitive level, cognitive style and information processing abilities in children's understanding of fractions as part-whole

Analysis of the answers given by two Italian student samples of 5th and 7th grade to 12 items of the concept assessment (CA) test on the rational number, yielded the result that the students experience great difficulties in mastering the fraction concept. In particular, about 34 per cent (11 per cent) of 5th (7th) grade subjects interpret the fraction as part‐to‐part. We report a detailed study of the relationship between the test scores and individual characteristics, such as cognitive style, intellectual development and information processing capabilities.