How do elementary textbooks address equivalence of fractions in the United States and India?

Jaai Uday Phatak; Lillie R. Albert

doi:10.29333/ejmste/19186

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Jaai Uday Phatak ¹ ^* , Lillie R. Albert ¹

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¹ Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA^* Corresponding Author

Abstract

Textbooks are among the primary curricular resources in mathematics education. This study aimed to examine how elementary textbooks (grade 3-grade 6) in the United States and India address equivalent fractions. Three criteria used for comparison were: flow and structure of the concepts, use of relevant and realistic examples, and development of (mathematical) flexibility. Although the overall content covered in both textbook series was largely similar, substantial differences existed in the structure and flow of the equivalent fraction concepts. The US textbooks had more repetition across grades than Indian textbooks. Secondly, US textbooks included fewer real-life examples than Indian textbooks, but both used realistic and relevant contexts for their respective students. Lastly, both textbook series incorporated elements of mathematical flexibility, but their nature and frequency varied. This study’s analysis provides crucial insights for curriculum developers, policymakers, and teachers, based on various features of these US and Indian textbook series.

Keywords

mathematics textbook
elementary
equivalent fractions
international
flexibility
real-world contexts

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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Research Article

EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed, Volume 22, Issue 9, September 2026, Article No: em2909

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/19186

Publication date: 20 Aug 2026

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Article Downloads: 6

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How to cite this article

APA

Phatak, J. U., & Albert, L. R. (2026). How do elementary textbooks address equivalence of fractions in the United States and India?. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 22(9), em2909. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/19186

Vancouver

Phatak JU, Albert LR. How do elementary textbooks address equivalence of fractions in the United States and India?. EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed. 2026;22(9):em2909. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/19186

AMA

Phatak JU, Albert LR. How do elementary textbooks address equivalence of fractions in the United States and India?. EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed. 2026;22(9), em2909. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/19186

Chicago

Phatak, Jaai Uday, and Lillie R. Albert. "How do elementary textbooks address equivalence of fractions in the United States and India?". Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education 2026 22 no. 9 (2026): em2909. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/19186

Harvard

Phatak, J. U., and Albert, L. R. (2026). How do elementary textbooks address equivalence of fractions in the United States and India?. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 22(9), em2909. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/19186

MLA

Phatak, Jaai Uday et al. "How do elementary textbooks address equivalence of fractions in the United States and India?". Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, vol. 22, no. 9, 2026, em2909. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/19186